Mexico Advances to Round of 16 as All Teams from Germany's Group Are Eliminated
Mexico secured their spot in the Round of 16 with first-half goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez, who had also scored in their opening victory against South Africa. Their win came at the expense of Ecuador.
At just 17 years old, Mexican midfielder Gilberto Mora made history by becoming the youngest player to start a knockout stage match in this competition since Pele in 1958.
This result means every team from Germany’s group has been eliminated in the first knockout round. The four-time champions themselves were upset by Paraguay in a penalty shootout. Meanwhile, Côte d'Ivoire fell to Norway after a late winner from Erling Haaland. Similarly, all teams from Group F have exited following losses to the Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden.
Ecuador wrapped up their tournament with three scoreless matches out of four, except for their 2-1 victory over Germany. In contrast, Mexico remain the only team yet to concede a goal so far.
Piero Hincapié, former Bayer Leverkusen defender, was shown a red card in injury time after covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent. Mexico will carry on with strong home support as they prepare to face the winner between England and DR Congo in the next round.
