Julián Quiñones made history on Thursday by scoring the first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as co-hosts Mexico took an early lead against South Africa in the tournament’s opening match.

The striker found the net in the 9th minute at the Mexico City Stadium, sending thousands of home fans into celebration as the biggest World Cup in history got underway.

Quiñones capitalised on a costly mistake by South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. An attempted pass from the back put a teammate under pressure, allowing the Mexican forward to pounce on the loose ball.

With only the goalkeeper to beat, Quiñones calmly fired home to give Mexico a 1-0 advantage and become the first player to score at the 2026 World Cup.

The goal was no surprise given Mexico’s strong start to the match.

The hosts dominated possession from kickoff and created several early chances. Williams had already been called into action in the sixth minute when he produced a fine save to deny veteran striker Raúl Jiménez.

South Africa struggled to settle in the opening stages as Mexico pushed forward in search of an early breakthrough.

READ ALSO: FIFA Ranking: Super Eagles emerge second-highest-ranked team missing the 2026 World Cup

Born in Colombia, Quiñones later became a naturalised Mexican citizen and has grown into an important player for the national team. His goal now guarantees him a special place in World Cup history.

Thursday’s match marked the kickoff of the first 48-team FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada.

While there is still a long way to go in the tournament, Quiñones has already achieved something every footballer dreams of—writing his name into the World Cup record books.

Tunde Eludini

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini

Mexico's Quiñones scores first goal for 2026 World Cup

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