Mexico Vs South Africa, FIFA World Cup 2026: Julian Quinones Scores Tournament's First Goal - Who Is He?

Mexican forward Julian Quinones made history by scoring the first goal of the FIFA World Cup 2026 during their Group A match against South Africa at the Mexico City Stadium on Thursday, June 11.

The hosts started rapidly, and the African side felt the heat, resulting in an early blunder. Quinones, who was in the right place at the right time, capitalised by slotting home the ninth-minute opener, between the goalkeeper's legs.

Quinones' goal marks the earliest first goal scored in a FIFA World Cup tournament since 2006, when Philipp Lahm found the back of the net for Germany against Costa Rica after just six minutes.

In anticipation of the tournament opener, fans in their thousands turned up for the grand opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The event featured performances by highly acclaimed stars such as Shakira, Burna Boy, and more.

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Who Is Julian Quinones?

The 29-year-old Quinones currently plays for Al-Qadsiah, a club in the Saudi Pro League. The Colombia-born player holds dual citizenship and was part of the Colombian youth system. After representing the South American country at age-group competitions, including the 2017 South American U-20 Championship and the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games, he switched allegiance to join El Tri.

The forward scored a hat-trick to help Al-Qadsiah thrash Al Ittihad 5-1 on the final day of the SPL season, an effort which eventually earned him the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot, ahead of Ivan Toney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

After scoring the historic opening goal of the tournament in a dream World Cup debut, Quinones is expected to spearhead Mexico's attack against South Korea in their second Group A match.