Mexico v Ecuador: World Cup 2026 last 32 match delayed by storm – live

If Mexico unlock Ecuador’s defence it is likely Julian Quinones will be involved.

Quiñones, 29, was born in Colombia, arrived in Mexico in 2015 and forged his career in Liga MX. He became a naturalized Mexican citizen in 2023 and was first called up to the national team that same year. His inclusion on the World Cup squad raises a question about race that Mexico has tried to avoid for much of its modern history: who has the right to be Mexican?

The answer is wrapped up in the national soccer program’s future, which increasingly lies beyond Mexico’s borders.

For much of the 20th century, the national team was primarily comprised of players developed within its own territory. Today, however, the pool of Mexican talent extends across a transnational landscape shaped by migration and family networks.