Mexican fans blew horns outside Ecuador’s hotel the night before the World Cup clash | World Cup 2026

The Ecuadorian Football Federation says it has lodged a complaint with the organizers of the incident in Mexico City.

Mexican soccer fans did their best to make Ecuador sleepless for the team to reach the round of 32 World Cup Games in Mexico City.

From midnight to dawn, many fans gathered outside the Westin hotel in Santa Fe, a suburb outside the Mexican capital, using loudspeakers, horns, and motorcycles to disrupt the sleep of the arriving team.

Team serenades are a deep-rooted, highly emotional tradition in Latin American football. While it started out as a fun way to get fans to support the home team, it has evolved into a tool to rob players who have come to get a good night’s sleep.

The Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) said on Tuesday that it had lodged a complaint with the organizers of the incident in Mexico City.

“Such behavior is at odds with the principles of fairness, justice, and unity that the World Cup should have,” the organization said.

“The FEF respectfully asks the governing body to take these incidents seriously and take appropriate measures to protect the safety of our players, coaches and fans.”

The fans in hiding, organized on social media, solved the biggest problem for the Ecuadorian team, which had deliberately planned to arrive on Monday night to reduce the difficulties of Mexico City’s height of 2,200 meters (7,300 ft).

To combat the problem of thin air, sports scientists recommend two different methods: a long period of at least two weeks, or the method of “flying, flying” – to get as close as possible before the onset of dangerous symptoms.

The “fly-in, fly-out” system is used by teams from the major US sports leagues when they come to play in Mexico City.

But Ecuador’s journey from Columbus, Ohio, was complicated by delays from the start. Coach Sebastián Beccacece complained that their flight was delayed by more than three hours, although he did not mention whether it caused the two-hour difference between the cities.

“The flight delay, then the transfer to the hotel – ended up being a nine-hour flight; we took three hours longer than planned,” Beccacece said. “But the team is doing well and they are happy – obviously they are facing an opponent who produced good results in the group.”

Furthermore, the group arrived at Felipe Ángeles airport, 65km (40 miles) from their hotel. The group was forced to travel to Santa Fe through Mexico City’s famous highway, which was also shut down Monday by heavy rain.