Hundreds of Mexican fans gathered outside Ecuador’s team hotel in Mexico City late Monday night in an attempt to disrupt the hosts’ preparations ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 tournament. A raucous crowd gathered just after midnight, giving way to drums, air horns, loudspeakers and music aimed at keeping the Ecuadorian players awake before their big tournament game.
Mexican fans want a hotel for the Ecuadorian team
Videos widely shared on X showed a large crowd standing under the Ecuadorian team’s hotel, with supporters singing, drumming and honking car horns throughout the night. Things took a turn for the worse when fans repeatedly chanted anti-Ecuadorian slogans, including “Ecuatorianos hijos de p*ta,” in an attempt to distract the incoming team before kick-off.Several Ecuadorian players were seen looking out their hotel windows as the chaos continued in the morning, while team officials monitored the situation.
Major groups in Mexico City
The event comes just hours before the top show of the Round of 32 at the Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca), with a place in the Round of 16 on the line. Mexico have enjoyed a successful campaign so far, winning all three group games without conceding a goal under head coach Javier Aguirre. Ecuador, meanwhile, recovered from a difficult start to the tournament by producing one of the tournament’s biggest upsets, edging out Germany to reach the final. The winners of Tuesday’s game will go through to the round of 16, with either England or DR Congo waiting.
