Into the record books: Behind Quinones' goal

Julian Quinones, Mexico’s hero, naturalized and joined a list that includes Pele and Klinsmann

Sport 5, published: 11.06.26, 22:26 (GETY) | Photo: Sport 5

For years, it should be noted, the team that opened the World Cup was the defending champion, not the host. This time, three of the first four matches will belong to the three hosts, Mexico, the United States and Canada. The one to score the first goal this time was Julian Quinones.

He is the top scorer in the Saudi league, finishing the season with 29 goals, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, among others. He is considered a very good scorer in smaller leagues and has now joined a list that includes Pele and Jürgen Klinsmann. Quinones scored his first goal for the national team since June 2024, and it was only his third in national colors.

Quinones was a substitute in Mexico’s most recent matches before the World Cup. He was born in Colombia and became a naturalized citizen. Quinones turned down a call-up to the Colombia national team after what he described as “years of discrimination,” and he is regarded as a hungry player who looks for goals again and again. “I fight for every ball,” he said.

He is considered calm off the pitch but a modern striker who can press opponents and play in several attacking positions. Quinones gained surprising popularity thanks to the EA FC game, formerly FIFA, in which he was a free agent, leading many coaches to sign him in Career Mode.

Quinones has never played in Europe, and in the last two years he has played for Saudi club Al Qadsiah. The previous World Cup, it should be noted, opened for the first time with a penalty by Enner Valencia. In 2014, we saw for the first time an own goal by Marcelo. The list of those who scored the opening goals includes Pele in 1966 and Jürgen Klinsmann in 1994, along with Philipp Lahm in 2006.

Opening goals at each World Cup:

1934, Ernesto Blis of Argentina in the third minute against Sweden, 3:1 loss 1938, German Joseph Gauchel in the 29th minute, 1:1 against Switzerland 1950, Brazil’s Ademir in the 30th minute, 0:4 against Mexico 1954, Yugoslavia’s Milos Milutinovic in the 15th minute, 0:1 against France 1958, Argentina’s Oreste Corbatta in a 0:1 against West Germany, 3:1 loss 1962, Argentina’s Hector Facundo in the third minute, 0:1 against Bulgaria 1966, Brazil’s Pele in the 14th minute, 0:2 against Bulgaria 1970, the first match ended 0:0 between Mexico and the Soviet Union. Bulgarian Dinko Dermendzhiev scored from a free kick in the 13th minute in his team’s 3:2 loss to Peru 1974, West Germany’s Paul Breitner scored in the 18th minute in a win over Chile 1978, Bernard Lacombe scored after just 31 seconds in France’s 1:2 win over Italy, the sixth-fastest goal in World Cup history 1982, Belgium’s Erwin Vandenbergh scored in a 0:1 against Argentina and Diego Maradona 1986, Italy’s Alessandro Altobelli scored in the 43rd minute in a 1:1 against Bulgaria 1990, Cameroon’s Francois Omam-Biyik stunned Argentina with a header in the 67th minute en route to a 0:1 win 1994, Jürgen Klinsmann scored in the 16th minute against Bolivia 1998, Brazil’s Cesar Sampaio scored with his shoulder after a corner in the fourth minute against Scotland 2002, Senegal’s Bouba Diop scored the winning goal in the 29th minute against France, 0:1 2006, Germany’s Philipp Lahm scored in the sixth minute against Costa Rica en route to a 2:4 win 2010, South Africa’s Siphiwe Tshabalala scored in the 55th minute in a 1:1 against Mexico 2014, for the first time, an own goal. Marcelo scored into his own net in the tenth minute, but Brazil beat Croatia 1:3 2018, Russia’s Yuri Gazinsky scored in the 12th minute en route to a big 0:5 win over Saudi Arabia 2022, a penalty. Enner Valencia scored from the spot in the 16th minute en route to Ecuador’s 0:2 win over Qatar 2024, Julian Quinones scored Mexico’s 0:1 against South Africa in the ninth minute World Cup 2026

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