By Libby Rainey for LAist
Originally published on July 1, 2026
Celebrations in Los Angeles began long before the final whistle blew on Tuesday night, when Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 to advance from the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in 40 years.
It’s Mexico’s fourth straight win this tournament. The team hasn’t let a single goal in so far. With each victory, a feeling of hopeful glee is growing in Los Angeles, where it’s hard to walk a block without spotting a green Mexico jersey.
Mexico fans at the city’s watch parties are confident that something special is happening this World Cup.
“ I think Mexico’s going to take it all the way. I have a feeling,” said Saul Castro at Sycamore Grove Park, where hundreds gathered Tuesday in a tangle of lawn chairs and picnic blankets to cheer on the team.
Vendors kept their eyes on the match while selling bacon-wrapped hotdogs. Kids wrapped in Mexican flags whooped and hollered at the outdoor screen.
Nearby at a watch party at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Eduardo Reyes was reveling in the crowd. He’d gathered his boyfriend, co-workers and family members to watch the match together.
“ We haven’t gotten to this point [as] the Mexican team,” he said. “I’m pretty excited. We feel the energy, the positivity, and I’m just loving it.”
The line at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, remade as Casa México for the tournament, snaked down the street, and some couldn’t fit into the watch party. People on the street were listening to the game on the radio.
Gisel Cruz was selling water and beer to people as they waited to get in. She was also rooting for Mexico, where she has family.
“ This is crazy,” she said, grinning and observing the crowd. “I like it so much.”
Some rallying for Mexico on Tuesday were longtime soccer fans, taught to love the game by family members. Veronica Castro- Aceituno smiled remembering her uncles gathering together to watch soccer when she was a child growing up in Guatemala.
“ They used to play in the barrio,” she said. “They will always stop and watch every game, from small ones to big ones.”
Others cheered for the team to honor their roots. Yesenia Rosales came from Palmdale to watch the match in Los Angeles, her hometown. Her parents left Mexico for the U.S., where they raised her.
“ My dad’s from Sinaloa, my mom’s from Michoacán,” she said. “I don’t forget where I came from, where my parents came from, how hard they struggled.”
Mexico plays its next match Sunday afternoon against England. Los Angeles will undoubtedly be in the streets to cheer the team on, hoping it can continue its spectacular run to the quarterfinals.
