Mexico Beat Ecuador 2-0 to Reach 2026 World Cup Round of 16

Mexico booked their place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Ecuador, whose hopes ended on a disappointing note after defender Piero Hincapié was sent off in stoppage time.

Already trailing by two goals, Ecuador's frustration boiled over in the closing moments of the match. Midfielder Kendry Páez was shown a yellow card in the fourth minute of added time for a foul in midfield.

Moments later, an off-the-ball altercation broke out between Ecuador defender Piero Hincapié and Mexico forward Santiago Giménez. Giménez complained that Hincapié had grabbed his face during the incident.

After reviewing the footage with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), the referee determined that Hincapié had committed serious misconduct by making contact with his opponent's face. Under FIFA's disciplinary guidelines, such actions can result in a straight red card, and Hincapié was dismissed in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

Mexico had already taken firm control of the match with two goals before the late incident. The victory secured the hosts a place in the World Cup knockout stage, while Ecuador were eliminated from the tournament.