Mexico forward Julián Quiñones etched his name into FIFA World Cup history on Thursday after scoring the first goal of the 2026 tournament to hand the hosts an early lead against South Africa in the opening match of the competition
The striker struck in the ninth minute at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, capitalising on a costly defensive error before firing home from the edge of the box to put Mexico 1-0 ahead.
The goal marked the first of the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada.
Mexico had started the contest brightly and dominated possession in the opening exchanges as they looked to delight the home crowd.
Raúl Jiménez came close to opening the scoring in the fifth minute when he connected with a pass inside the box, only for South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to produce a superb diving save to keep the scores level.
The breakthrough eventually arrived four minutes later when Quiñones pounced on a defensive mistake by the South Africans, showing composure to drive the ball beyond Williams and into the net.
The goal sparked celebrations among the Mexican supporters and immediately placed the 29-year-old in the history books as the first player to score at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
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