The victory of the Mexican team over Ecuador in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup not only secured the ticket to the round of 16, but also provoked praise from two world football leaders. Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic highlighted the level shown by Javier Aguirre's team, which they described as one of the best of the day.

Both former forwards, now FOX analysts in the United States, agreed that the Tricolor dominated the match from the beginning and highlighted the collective functioning, as well as the performance of footballers such as Gilberto Mora, Raúl Jiménez and Julián Quiñones.

Thierry Henry was impressed with Mexico's start

The world champion with France did not hide his admiration for the way in which the Mexican team came out to play the match against Ecuador.

“As they would say there (in Mexico), congratulations, Mexico… wow!” were Thierry Henry's first words during the broadcast.

Then he explained why he was surprised by the Mexican team's proposal.

"The first 30 minutes just wow! That's exactly how you should start a game if you want to get the fans on your side and put the pressure on your opponent."

Gilberto Mora was the player who surprised Henry the most

In addition to the collective performance, Thierry Henry highlighted the work of Raúl Jiménez and Julián Quiñones, although he reserved special recognition for Gilberto Mora, who once again assumed a key role in the midfield.

"Ecuador did not exist, but it was the way they approached the game, they did not stop pressing. In the second half they overcame the commitment, but (Julián) Quiñones... the way he has been since the beginning of the tournament... (Raúl) Jiménez, (Gilberto) Mora too. Let's not forget the little boy how he plays in the midfield, at times he controls the game, he understands when he should stop and not go on the counterattack too soon, he generates fouls."

For the Frenchman, the young midfielder showed unusual maturity in a highly demanding scenario.

Henry also highlighted the atmosphere at the Mexico City Stadium

The former French striker assured that the support of the fans was another of the factors that boosted the performance of Javier Aguirre's team.

"See the communion with the fans, listen to the noise... we all know that there can be difficult moments, but when the team and the fans are united... wow... Mexico is an unstoppable force so, to whoever has to go play there, all the luck in the world."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic described the performance as the best in Mexico

Who was also surprised by the Tricolor's performance was Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is part of the FOX analyst team for coverage of the 2026 World Cup.

The former Swedish forward assured that the exhibition against Ecuador has been the best that the Mexican team has shown in the tournament.

“They played with a lot of intensity, defensively and also offensively.”

Although he acknowledged that in the second half the team managed the advantage, Ibrahimovic considered that the Mexican team was superior from start to finish and deserved its classification to the round of 16.

Mexico convinces on and off the field

The victory over Ecuador meant much more than a pass to the next round of the 2026 World Cup. The performance of the team led by Javier Aguirre transcended borders and received recognition from two of the most important figures in international football.

The praise from Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic reflects the impact that the performance of the Mexican team had, which will now face the round of 16 with strengthened confidence and with the support of a performance that attracted worldwide attention.