Mexico advances to the round of 16 after beating Ecuador at the Azteca

Decisive duel in Seattle

This Wednesday, Belgium and Senegal face off at Seattle Stadium for a ticket to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. The winner will face the winner of the duel between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Honduran Said Martínez will referee the match, assisted by his compatriots Walter López and Christian Ramírez. The Mexican Guillermo Pacheco will be in charge of the VAR.

Belgium arrives as the leader of Group G with five points, the same as Egypt, but with a better goal difference after beating New Zealand 5-1 and tying with Egypt and Iran. Led by Frenchman Rudi García, the Belgians advanced from the group stage for the ninth time in 15 World Cup appearances. Figures like Kevin de Bruyne, Leandro Trossard and Romelu Lukaku support the team.

For this match, García recovers Jeremy Doku, a Manchester City striker who overcame a respiratory infection and was absent in previous matches due to the birth of his son.

For its part, Senegal advanced as one of the best third parties, third in Group I behind France and Norway. A 5-0 win over Iraq secured their place. Under the command of Pape Thiaw, the African team stands out for the defensive leadership of Sadio Mané, who has not had his best scoring production but provides collective sacrifice.

The winner of this duel will play on Monday, July 6 in the round of 16, facing the rival that emerges from the match between the United States and Bosnia, which also takes place this Wednesday in Los Angeles.

The long-awaited duel between Mexico and Ecuador for the round of 32 of the World Cup will have to wait. An electrical storm around the Mexico City Stadium forced the match schedule to be modified.

The intense rain on Santa Úrsula activated FIFA’s security protocols. The measure seeks to protect soccer players, coaching staff and fans.

Both the Mexican and Ecuadorian national teams saw their pre-match routine altered. They delayed their departure to the field for warm-up exercises, while the authorities monitor the evolution of the weather.

On the stadium screens it is reported that the game is officially delayed. So far there is no new defined time for the start of activities on the field.

French dominance in the countryside

The French team confirmed its status as favorites in the 2026 World Cup by beating Sweden with authority. Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise were the stars of the match, played in the group stage.

The scoring opened at the end of the first half. Mbappé took advantage of an individual play to beat the Swedish goalkeeper. In the 53rd minute, Olise extended the lead after a well-crafted collective action.

The third goal came after an assist from Olise to Mbappé, who defined with precision. France also hit the post three times and had a goal disallowed for offside after a VAR review.

Mbappé strokes a historical record

With this double, Mbappé has six goals in the current tournament. In his World Cup career he has scored 18 goals, just one behind the Argentine Lionel Messi.

The victory left France with perfect progress in its group and eliminated Sweden from the competition. Next Saturday, Didier Deschamps’ team will face Paraguay in the round of 16, at the Philadelphia stadium.