Mexico Beat Ecuador 2-0 for First World Cup KO Win in 40 Years

Mexico ended a 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout stage victory, beating Ecuador 2-0 at Estadio Azteca. The result is a landmark moment for El Tri, who had repeatedly fallen at this hurdle across four decades of World Cup football. Mexico's long-standing knockout curse is broken — they advance in a home World Cup carrying the weight of 40 years of near-misses.