Who Will Mexico Play In The Round Of 16? Date, Time, Venue And Possible Opponents Revealed
Julian Quinones scored his third goal of the tournament and Raul Jimenez added a curling finish as Mexico beat Ecuador 2-0 at the Azteca. El Tri are through to the Round of 16 on home soil, and England are waiting.
Mexico beat Ecuador 2-0 tonight at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to advance to the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, maintaining their perfect record at the Azteca in the knockout stages and setting up a home tie that the entire country will be talking about for days.
Julian Quinones opened the scoring with a clinical finish after Roberto Alvarado slipped him in behind the Ecuador defence, his third goal of the tournament. Raul Jimenez doubled the lead soon after with a curling finish into the top corner after brilliant interplay between the two strikers created the space. Mexico controlled the remainder of the match comfortably and kept their second clean sheet of the knockout stage.
Mexico vs England: The Round of 16 Confirmed
Mexico will face England in the Round of 16, as the Group L winners advance to face the winner from the opposite side of their section of the bracket. England beat DR Congo 1-0 on Wednesday to advance, setting up a historic meeting at Estadio Azteca.
The fixture takes place on Sunday, July 6 at 8pm ET at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. It will be broadcast on FOX in the United States. The two nations have met only once before at a World Cup, in the 1966 group stage in England, where the hosts won 2-0. This time, Mexico have the home advantage at one of football's most intimidating venues.
What a Mexico vs England Match at the Azteca Means
Mexico have kept their unbeaten record in World Cup matches at Estadio Azteca intact throughout this tournament, winning all three group stage games and now the Round of 32. The stadium's atmosphere, especially in knockout football, is unlike anywhere else the tournament is being played.
England, for their part, have never won a competitive match in Mexico. Their last visit to the Azteca was in a 2001 friendly, where they famously won 4-0 with a Michael Owen hat-trick, but competitive football in Mexico City has been a different story historically. Thomas Tuchel's side arrive on the back of a disciplined 1-0 win over DR Congo. Mexico arrive having scored three goals tonight and not conceded once since the group stage. The stage is set for one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament so far.