Video: Raúl Jiménez extends México’s lead after Julián Quiñones’ opener vs Ecuador at 2026 World Cup

After a brilliant, threaded pass from Roberto Alvarado, Julián Quiñones found himself in a dead sprint toward the net. Upon cutting into the penalty area, Quiñones unleashed a absolute rocket that left Ecuador goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez completely helpless, giving México an explosive early lead in this high-stakes 2026 World Cup Round of 32 clash.

Moments later, Raúl Jiménez doubled the lead for El Tri, capitalizing on a brilliant turnover at the edge of the box. The veteran Mexican striker clinical struck it on frame, leaving Ecuador goalkeeper Galíndez completely frozen once again.

A frenetic opening from México quickly translated into an early lead against an Ecuador side that appeared entirely disorganized on the pitch. Exploiting their opponent’s confusion, El Tri dictated the tempo throughout the first half, unlocking the backline at will to create a barrage of dangerous offensive chances.

While Ecuador pushed numbers forward in a desperate search for an equalizer, Mexican goalkeeper Raúl Rangel stood tall with a series of spectacular saves. Anchoring the defensive effort, Rangel and his backline formed an impenetrable wall, consistently thwarting Ecuador’s attacks to preserve the first-half advantage.

Quiñones rules the roster as El Tri’s chief weapon

With a blistering three goals in four matches, Quiñones has firmly established himself as México’s undisputed top scorer at the 2026 World Cup. His lethal form on the sport’s biggest stage comes as no surprise to those who watched him dominate in Saudi Arabia last season, where he shockingly outpaced global icons like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to claim the golden boot.

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Quiñones set the tone for El Tri from the jump, netting Mexico’s crucial opening goal of the tournament against South Africa. He doubled down on his stellar form with a clutch strike in the group-stage finale against Czechia, cementing his status as the indispensable focal point of the Mexican attack heading into the knockout rounds.

Meanwhile, Jiménez continues to close the gap on Mexico’s all-time scoring crown. With his 47th international goal today against Ecuador, Jiménez now sits just five strikes behind legendary forward Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernéndez, who holds El Tri’s top spot with 52 goals.