Fans Flood Monumento a la Patria After World Cup Win
Green jerseys, waving flags and a fair number of costumes filled the plaza around Mérida’s Monumento a la Patria Tuesday night, as fans didn’t even wait for the final whistle to start celebrating Mexico’s 2-0 win over Ecuador in the World Cup’s round of 32.
By the time the match wrapped up at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the monument on Paseo de Montejo was already filling with supporters. Some showed up dressed as superheroes; others wore the ghostly nun costume from “The Conjuring,” a Halloween staple that’s become a recurring sight at these impromptu victory parties. A truck with a mounted screen parked nearby, waiting for its moment to join the party.
As the minutes ticked by, the scene only grew louder. Horns, rattles and whistles mixed with chants from the crowd, building toward a countdown that marked the final seconds of the match and, with it, the start of the celebration in earnest. Within minutes, the plaza was packed shoulder to shoulder with people sharing in the win.
The crowd grew large enough that authorities closed traffic near a well-known supermarket close to the monument, and state police set up a security detail that stayed in the area for the rest of the night.
Mexico’s win, powered by goals from Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez, sends El Tri into the round of 16 for the first time since 2018. The team will face the winner of England’s match against DR Congo on July 5, again at Estadio Azteca.
It’s the second time in World Cup history Mexico has beaten Ecuador, the first coming in a 2002 group-stage match in Japan. This time around, the win came in Mexico’s first knockout-round test of the tournament, after the team swept its group with wins over South Korea, South Africa and Czechia.
Celebrations like Tuesday’s have become part of the rhythm of this year’s tournament in Yucatán, even though no matches are being played here. Fans have gathered at World Cup fan zones across the state since the opening match on June 11, and the Monumento a la Patria — already a go-to gathering spot for everything from Pride marches to political rallies — has again become the default site for spontaneous street celebrations.
Mexico’s next match is scheduled for Sunday, and if Tuesday night was any indication, Mérida will be ready to celebrate again
Based on reporting by Diario de Yucatán, with additional match details from ESPN’s game recap.
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