At least two people died during massive celebrations in Mexico City on Wednesday after Mexico advanced to the World Cup last 16, local authorities said.
The Mexico City health ministry said a 19-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man died of asphyxiation during the festivities. Authorities said reports of a third death, carried by local media, had not yet been confirmed.
More than a million people flooded the streets of the capital following Mexico’s 2-0 victory over Ecuador, which secured the national team’s first World Cup knockout win since 1986.
Most of the celebrations were centred around the Angel of Independence monument, where crowds gathered into the night waving flags and chanting in support of the team.
The win sent Mexico into the round of 16 and extended celebrations across the country.
On the pitch, Julián Quiñones gave Mexico the lead in the first half with a powerful strike before setting up Raúl Jiménez for the second goal in a dominant display.
The result marked Mexico’s first World Cup knockout victory in 40 years, dating back to the 1986 tournament when the country last hosted the competition.
Tuesday’s win also extended Mexico’s unbeaten run at the Azteca to 10 World Cup matches, with the co-hosts now set to face either England or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the next round.
Mexico were one of only three teams to win all three group-stage matches, alongside France and Argentina, and did so without conceding a goal.
AFP
