Cheers erupted along Wilshire Avenue in downtown Fullerton Thursday night as soccer fans gathered to watch Mexico defeat South Korea 1-0 and become the first team to advance to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The viewing event turned Wilshire Avenue’s pedestrian-friendly corridor into a vibrant gathering place for residents and visitors. The venue, formerly known as “Walk on Wilshire,” hosted over a hundred attendees. Still, there wasn’t enough seating around the $3,000 rental television, which was only slightly larger than a typical home theater. Many attendees wore green Mexico jerseys, waved flags, and celebrated a significant milestone for El Tri. This victory marked Mexico’s second consecutive win in Group A and secured its place in the tournament’s knockout round.
Mexico secured the win in the 50th minute when midfielder Luis Romo capitalized on a defensive mistake inside South Korea’s penalty area. South Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-Gyu collided with defender Lee Gi-Hyuk and lost possession of the ball, allowing Romo to score into an open net. The match remained tense until the closing minutes. South Korea nearly equalized in the 87th minute when Cho Gue-Sung headed a ball on goal from close range, but Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel made two critical saves, including a dramatic stop on the rebound to preserve the lead.
The result gives Mexico six points from its first two Group A matches. Combined with the earlier 1-1 draw between Czechia and South Africa, Mexico clinched first place in the group with one match remaining. For Mexico’s supporters, the victory represents a dramatic turnaround from the 2022 World Cup, when the national team failed to advance beyond the group stage. The win also ensures Mexico will continue to play in front of home-country crowds for at least its next two matches, and potentially longer as the tournament progresses.
Mexico’s advancement carries additional historical significance. Before the 2026 tournament, the national team had never won a World Cup match outside Mexico City. Most of Mexico’s previous home World Cup matches during the 1970 and 1986 tournaments were played at Estadio Azteca. The team’s victory in 2026 adds a new chapter to that history while fueling hopes of an extended run in the expanded tournament.
The atmosphere in downtown Fullerton reflected the excitement felt throughout Southern California, home to one of the largest Mexican and Mexican-American populations in the United States. Families, soccer enthusiasts, and community members gathered to watch the match and celebrate together as Mexico moved one step closer to a World Cup run. As fans filtered out of downtown Fullerton following the final whistle, many were already looking ahead to Mexico’s next match against Czechia, with celebrations continuing along Wilshire Avenue long after the game ended.
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Categories: Downtown, Local Events, Local News
Before the “venue” said in the story to have been known as “Walk on Wilshire” had that name applied to it it was for 100 years, and still is, called Wilshire Ave.
I still miss the Walk on Wilshire which brought residents and visitors to the closed to traffic part of W. Wilshire to enjoy outdoor dining. WOW was featured in regional media as the special place it was.
I am still hugely disappointed that the overwhelming number of businesses and residents who spoke up in favor of keeping that small portion of the street closed to traffic were not listened to by the current council majority (Jung, Dunlap, & Valencia) who chose instead to destroy WOW.
That was one in a series of bad decisions that have been made by the three Councilmembers that have dumbed down Fullerton. I especially feel bad for Mulberry Street which went to the expense of erecting an outdoor space on WOW and then had to take it down.
We need to bring back the Walk on Wilshire that Jung and Valencia killed and have fun events there all the time.