Julian Quinones will forever remain in history as the footballer who scored the first goal of the 2026 World Cup.
The Mexico striker scored in the ninth minute of the opening match against South Africa at the legendary Azteca Stadium, giving the home team the lead and entering the football history books.
But who is the man who scored the first goal of the World Cup?
From Colombia to Mexican hero status
Julian Quinones is a 29-year-old striker who plays for Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia and the Mexican national team. He was born and raised in Colombia, but at the age of 18 he moved to Tigres, where he took his first steps towards his rise to the top flight.
In May 2023, he turned down an invitation from the Colombia national team, for which he had previously played with the U20 team, choosing to represent Mexico. His debut with the Mexican jersey came in November of that year.
Before transferring to Saudi Arabia in 2024, Quinones also played successfully for Atlas and Club América, becoming one of the best strikers in the Mexican championship.
He also overshadowed Cristiano Ronaldo.
His transfer to Al-Qadsiah for 13.8 million euros became the most expensive sale in the history of a Mexican club.
In his first season in the Saudi Professional League, he scored 20 goals, while in the 2025/26 season he exploded with a full 33 goals in the championship.
This fantastic performance secured him the Saudi league’s Golden Boot, leaving behind big names like Ivan Toney with 32 goals and Cristiano Ronaldo with 28 goals.
However, the biggest moment of his career came in front of 83,000 fans at the Azteca Stadium.
After a mistake by the South African defense near the penalty area, Quinones took advantage of the opportunity, broke through the center and calmly finished through the legs of the opposing goalkeeper.
It was the goal that opened the 2026 World Cup and made the Mexican striker part of world football history.
Regardless of how far Mexico will reach in this World Cup, Julian Quinones’ name is already etched forever in history as the author of the first goal of the 2026 World Cup.
