Mexico City — The wait is over. Mexicans had grown accustomed to defeats in World Cup knockout stages for 40 years. On seven occasions, El Tri fans faced disappointment at this stage. This time, things changed.

Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored in quick succession, within nine minutes of each other, during the first half. Their goals secured a 2-0 victory over Ecuador on Tuesday night. Mexico advanced to the round of 16, breaking a four-decade drought in the knockout stage.

Quiñones opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, while Jiménez added a goal in the 31st. Mexico hadn’t won a knockout-stage match since defeating Bulgaria in 1986, when they hosted the tournament. Javier Aguirre, Mexico’s coach, was part of the starting lineup in that ’86 team.

It means a lot to me because I was among those who couldn’t progress in the knockout stage, Aguirre said. Reaching the round of 16 has created a great connection among fans. We’re like a family, and that’s spectacular.

From 1994 to 2018, Mexico lost seven consecutive times at the same stage and didn’t make it past the group stage in 2022. During the match, Raul Jimenez celebrated with Julian Quinones after scoring their second goal.

Aguirre returned as Mexico’s coach in August 2024. He was an assistant coach in 1994 and the head coach in 2002 and 2010. We’ll be on high alert from now until Sunday. We’ll try to get the players to recover, and hope to win again, he added.

The current World Cup format features an expanded 48-team lineup, introducing an extra round in the knockout phase. The round of 32 was added between the group stage and the round of 16.

Quiñones, with his third tournament goal, is Mexico’s second-highest scorer in World Cup history. He follows Luis “Matador” Hernández and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, each with four goals. Quiñones led Saudi Pro League scoring last season and sparked Mexico’s attack, which had been lacking in previous World Cups.

During his first World Cup, Quiñones expressed his joy: I am happy with the result, that’s all that matters now, said the 29-year-old forward, who arrived from Colombia at 17 and became a naturalized citizen in 2023.

Jiménez scored his second tournament goal, bringing his total to 47 with the national team, surpassing Jared Borgetti. He needs five more goals to tie “Chicharito” Hernández as Mexico’s all-time leading scorer.

Mexico looks forward to another home match on Sunday against either England or Congo, the winner of Wednesday’s match. Playing at Azteca Stadium, the team boasts an undefeated record in 10 World Cup matches. They’ve only had two official losses at the venue, with the last defeat during a World Cup qualifier against Honduras on September 6, 2013.

With the win, Mexico extended their unbeaten streak to 12 games since a friendly loss to Paraguay in November. They became the first CONCACAF team to eliminate a CONMEBOL team in a World Cup knockout match, with South American teams winning the previous five meetings.

The match was delayed one hour due to a thunderstorm, marking the second weather-related delay in the tournament. Previously, a storm during the France-Iraq match in Philadelphia on June 22 suspended play for over two hours.

Fans Celebrate

After the final whistle, celebrations erupted along Reforma Avenue, where thousands gathered. This is so exciting, said Denisse Ildefonso, a 20-year-old cook and soccer fan, as she cheered, We did it! amid the green, white, and red lights. Families and groups of friends cheered, while some fans tossed others into the air amidst the joyous crowd.

Erick Rubio, a 22-year-old college student, shouted, I feel proud to be Mexican. The celebrations spread across neighborhoods, bars, and parking lots, transformed into soccer fan zones, honoring the undefeated national team.