Mexico ends 40-year knockout drought at World Cup

Mexico ended a 40-year World Cup knockout stage drought with a 2-1 victory over Ecuador at Estadio Azteca on Sunday night, sparking wild celebrations and reigniting national pride. The win, sealed in stoppage time, marked El Tri’s first knockout-stage triumph at the World Cup since 1986—when they also hosted the tournament. The electric atmosphere inside the iconic venue was matched by the sheer relief and joy that swept across Mexico after decades of near-misses and heartbreak.

The match was locked at 1-1 through 90 minutes, with Ecuador taking the lead in the 28th minute via a header from Enner Valencia. Mexico equalized in the 56th minute when Edson Álvarez powered home a rebound after Guillermo Ochoa’s save. The breakthrough came in the 90+1 minute when Santiago Giménez—born in Mexico but capped by the Netherlands before switching allegiances—headed in a late winner from a Henry Martín cross, sending the crowd into raptures.