FIFA World Cup 2026: Julian Quinones, Raul Jimenez shine as Mexico continue historic run; equal clean sheet record

Mexico City: Mexico continued their fine FIFA World Cup run, beating Ecuador 2-0 on home soil, continuing their run as the only team that has not conceded in their first four matches of the tournament, becoming the first team to do so since 1994.

Mexico advanced to the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 with a convincing 2-0 victory over Ecuador in their Round of 32 clash on Tuesday (local time), ending a long wait for a knockout-stage triumph at the tournament.

As per Opta Analyst, they are the first team since 1994 to keep a clean sheet in their first four FIFA World Cup matches, after Switzerland in 2006.


The win marked Mexico's first FIFA World Cup knockout-stage victory since 1986 and snapped an eight-match streak of eliminations in World Cup knockout fixtures, the longest such run in the competition's history.

Magic of Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez
As per Opta Analyst, Julian (three goals) and Raul (two goals), who found the net once each in the match, became the second pair of Mexico players to score multiple goals in a single FIFA WC, after Luis Hernandez (4), Ricardo Pelaez (2) in 1998.

Julian also joined Manuel Negrete (versus Bulgaria in 1986) as the second Mexican player to register a goal and deliver an assist in a FIFA World Cup knockout match.

Now, Julian has secured four goal involvements in the ongoing FIFA World Cup (with three goals and an assist), levelling with Luis Hernandez (four goals) in the 1998 WC for most by a Mexican in a single WC. (ANI)