Mexico’s Victory Over Ecuador Made the Ground Shake. Was It an Artificial Earthquake?
Key takeaways
- The phenomenon can even occur thousands of miles away from where the matches are being played.
- Here’s WIRED’s complete guide to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- For several years now, the term “artificial earthquake” has been used to describe this type of atypical vibration recorded by seismological systems during sporting events or large-scale performances.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
Fans celebrate in the streets of Mexico City during the Mexican national team’s match against Ecuador on Tuesday.Photograph: Mariana Maytorena/Getty Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story. The ground literally shook after the two goals that secured Mexico’s victory over Ecuador in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup. Mexico’s Digital Platform for Early Warning and Comprehensive Risk Management (SASSLA) reported that the fans’ celebrations following goals by Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez caused “a significant artificial signal” recorded by a Raspberry Shake seismograph located near the Mexico City Stadium.
The seismic alert system noted on its social media accounts that “the outburst of euphoria and mass cheering produced vibrations in the local area.” A similar phenomenon occurred during Mexico’s debut against Germany at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when Mexico’s Institute of Geological and Atmospheric Research reported that, following Hirving Lozano’s winning goal a seismic signal of artificial origin was detected, “possibly caused by mass jumping” by fans in Mexico.
The phenomenon can even occur thousands of miles away from where the matches are being played. Geophysicists detected vibrations in Bergen, Norway, when the country's team scored goals during the group stage in the past few weeks.