GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Jordy Alcívar scored on a penalty kick in the first half to help Ecuador secure a 1-1 draw against Mexico on Tuesday in a warmup match for both teams for the 2026 World Cup.
Germán Berterame opened the scoring in the third minute, but Alcívar tied it in the 20th.
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Mexico's César Huerta, left, and Ecuador's Patrik Mercado compete for the ball during a friendly soccer match at Akron stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Referee Juan Calderon shows a yellow card to Mexico's Érick Sánchez during a friendly soccer match against Ecuador at Akron stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexico's Germán Berterame, top, is congratulated after scoring his side's opening goal against Ecuador during a friendly soccer match at Akron stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexico's Santiago Gimenez, center, is challenged by Ecuador's Joel Ordóñez, right, during a friendly soccer match at Akron stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Ecuador's Jordy Alcivar (8) is congratulated after scoring his side's first goal from the penalty spot against Mexico during a friendly soccer match at Akron stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexico, which will play in the next World Cup as co-hosts with Canada and the United States, extended its winless streak to four matches.
Mexico had a 4-0 loss to Colombia last Saturday and has not won a match since beating an alternate United States squad in the Gold Cup final on July 6.
Mexico will try to end that streak in November when it plays Uruguay.
Ecuador, which qualified second in South America just behind Argentina, had a 1-1 draw against the U.S. last Friday.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Mexico's César Huerta, left, and Ecuador's Patrik Mercado compete for the ball during a friendly soccer match at Akron stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Referee Juan Calderon shows a yellow card to Mexico's Érick Sánchez during a friendly soccer match against Ecuador at Akron stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexico's Germán Berterame, top, is congratulated after scoring his side's opening goal against Ecuador during a friendly soccer match at Akron stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Mexico's Santiago Gimenez, center, is challenged by Ecuador's Joel Ordóñez, right, during a friendly soccer match at Akron stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
Ecuador's Jordy Alcivar (8) is congratulated after scoring his side's first goal from the penalty spot against Mexico during a friendly soccer match at Akron stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
PARIS (AP) — Ukraine on Monday signed a letter of intent to buy up to 100 Rafale warplanes from France, the Ukrainian Embassy and the French president’s office said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron signed the document stating that Ukraine is considering the possibility of buying French defense equipment, including Rafale jet fighters, Macron’s office said. It did not provide further details.
Zelenskyy was on his ninth visit to Paris since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. His talks are meant to strengthen Ukraine’s defenses as the country enters another winter under Russian bombardment of its energy infrastructure and other targets.
On Monday morning, Macron and Zelenskyy visited an air base in the Paris outskirts, before heading to the headquarters of a multinational force, dubbed the “coalition of the willing,” that France and Britain have been preparing with more than 30 other nations to police an eventual ceasefire in Ukraine.
French officials say the force could be deployed immediately after a ceasefire and would be stationed away from the front lines in an effort to help dissuade renewed Russian attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far rejected calls for a ceasefire as his troops make creeping gains on the battlefield.
Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday that he looked forward to a “historic deal with France in Paris to strengthen our combat aviation and air defense." He made a stop to Greece on his way to France to sign an agreement to supply Ukraine with U.S. liquefied natural gas.
Last month, Ukraine and Sweden signed an agreement exploring the possibility of Ukraine buying up to 150 Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets over the next decade or more. Ukraine has already received American-made F-16s and French Mirages.
France is among major suppliers of defense assistance to Ukraine, including air defense systems and fighter jets.
The chief of the French defense staff, Air Force Gen. Fabien Mandon, this month told French senators that Ukraine needs immediate additional air defenses because Russia is on average targeting the country with about 1,700 drones per week and also hitting it with missiles.
He said that European-made SAMP/T ground-to-air systems that France provided are proving more effective than U.S.-made Patriot batteries against hard-to-hit Russian missiles.
“We helped Ukraine by deploying missile and drone interception systems called the SAMP/T system. The Russians adapted the flight profiles of their most advanced missiles because they realized they were being intercepted by Ukrainian defenses. Today, the Patriot system is struggling to intercept them, but the SAMP/T is intercepting them,” Mandon said.
Associated Press writer John Leicester contributed to the report.
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 before a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, visit the offices of the future international force known as the coalition of the willing, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Mont Valerien in Suresnes, outside Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands after signing an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sign an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hug after signing an agreement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
A Rafale jet fighter is seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
A Rafale jet fighter, drones and ammunitions are seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
A Rafale jet fighter is seen before the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 at the Villacoublay air base near Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool)
