It was a bit busy in between Mexico And Ecuador over the last 24 hours – to such an extent that the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) has filed a complaint with FIFA over so-called “off-field incidents” ahead of today’s match.
Ecuador’s complaint comes after videos appeared online last night allegedly showing Mexican fans holding an impromptu fan festival outside the opposing team’s hotel.
The video shows Mexican fans playing music, dancing, chanting, revving car engines, honking horns and setting off fireworks.
Such mastery of the game is often seen in club and international football in Latin America before high-stakes matches, as well as in the English Premier League and continental Europe.
The FEF, however, called the behavior “conduct that falls far short of the principles of fair play, justice and unity that the World Cup should represent.”
The Mexican Football Federation declined to comment. FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.