Hundreds of Mexican fans gathered outside Ecuador’s team hotel in Mexico City late Monday night in an apparent attempt to disrupt the away team’s preparations ahead of their last-32 match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The raucous crowd gathered shortly after midnight, creating a relentless atmosphere with drums, whistles, loudspeakers and chants aimed at keeping Ecuador’s players awake ahead of one of the tournament’s most important games.
Mexican fans target Ecuador team hotel
The atmosphere became increasingly hostile after video was widely shared online of fans chanting anti-Ecuadorian slogans, including “Ecuatorianos hijos de p*ta,” in an apparent attempt to unsettle the visiting team before kick-off.Several Ecuadorian players looked out of their hotel windows and excitement continued into the early hours while team officials monitored the situation.
Mexico City’s big bets
The incident occurred just hours before a high-pressure last-32 showdown at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with a place in the last 16 at stake. Mexico have had a stellar World Cup so far, winning all three of their group stage matches without conceding a goal under head coach Javier Aguirre. Ecuador, meanwhile, bounced back from a rocky start to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, knocking out Germany and advancing to the knockout stages. The winner of Tuesday’s match will advance to the last 16, where either England or the Democratic Republic of Congo awaits them.
