N. Quiñónes News & Headlines

Video: Julian Quinones scores first 2026 World Cup goal for Mexico against South Africa

worldsoccertalk.com · 5 days ago

In the Mexico vs. South Africa game, Julian Quinones scored the first goal of the 2026 World Cup edition. Mexico and South Africa opened the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, June 11, in front of a sellout crowd at the iconic Estadio Azteca. With all eyes on the first game of the competition, Julian Quiñones made his way in history by scoring the first goal of the World Cup. As South Africa attempted to build possession out from the back, midfielder Siphephelo Sithole was suffocated by a high press from Erik Lira, who forced a crucial turnover deep in the attacking third. Quiñones pounced on the loose ball at the edge of the box and unleashed a low, powerful strike that nutmegged goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, opening the tournament’s scoring account in the 8th minute. MEXICO SCORES THE FIRST GOAL OF THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP 🇲🇽It's Julián Quiñones in the scoresheet! pic.twitter.com/SnoP04ltFP— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 11, 2026 By finding the back of the net early, Quiñones accounted for the fastest goal scored in a World Cup opening match since Germany’s Philipp Lahm famously curled one past Costa Rica in the 6th minute back in 2006. The gold standard for the earliest goal in a tournament curtain-raiser still belongs to 1934, when Argentina’s Ernesto Belis struck in just the 4th minute against Sweden. Quiñones breaks scoring drought with Mexico Julian Quiñones arrived at the World Cup carrying some of the most scorching club form on the planet, having found the back of the net a stunning 37 times across 35 total appearances for Saudi Arabian side Al Qadsiah. In fact, the dynamic forward completely stole the headlines by outlasting global heavyweights Ivan Toney and Cristiano Ronaldo in a thrilling Golden Boot race, claiming the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League’s top-scorer crown with 33 goals in 31 domestic matches. In stark contrast, his track record with El Tri had been far less clinical, as he entered the tournament with just two goals in 22 international caps. With his early strike against South Africa, Quiñones not only successfully translated his blistering club form to the international stage, but he also snapped an agonizing national team drought dating back to June 8, 2024, when he last scored in a 3-2 friendly defeat against Brazil. *Developing story…

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Cristiano Ronaldo put on alert as Saudi Pro League Golden Boot winner Julian Quinones chooses his next step

worldsoccertalk.com · 3 weeks ago

Julian Quinones, the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot winner, has now made a crucial decision about his future, a development that could shape the balance of power in the competition ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest triumph in Saudi Arabia may have brought celebrations to Al-Nassr, but another major storyline quickly emerged around one of the league’s most dangerous forwards. Julian Quinones, the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot winner, has now made a crucial decision about his future, a development that could shape the balance of power in the competition ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The race between Cristiano Ronaldo, Ivan Toney, and Julian Quinones became one of the defining stories of the Saudi season. While Al-Nassr eventually lifted the league title, the battle for individual scoring honors produced drama until the final matchday, with Quinones remarkably stealing the spotlight. The 2025-26 Saudi Pro League season ended with one of the most dramatic finishes in recent memory. Heading into the final round, Ivan Toney led the scoring chart with 32 goals for Al-Ahli, while Quinones followed closely with 30, and Ronaldo remained within reach with 26. Everything changed in the closing hours of the campaign. Quinones exploded with a hat-trick in Al-Qadsiah’s 5-1 victory over Al-Ittihad, finishing the season with 33 league goals in 31 appearances. Meanwhile, Toney failed to score during Al-Ahli’s final match against Al-Khaleej. Ronaldo scored twice in Al-Nassr’s 4-1 win over Damac, but his final tally of 28 goals was not enough to secure a third consecutive Golden Boot. Ronaldo still protects a historic record Even though Ronaldo missed out on the individual award, his influence over Saudi soccer continues to dominate the league. The Portuguese forward still owns the all-time single-season Saudi Pro League scoring record with 35 goals, a mark established during the 2023-24 campaign. That record survived another intense challenge this season. Neither Quinones nor Toney managed to surpass the extraordinary total Ronaldo produced at the age of 39, further strengthening the Al-Nassr captain’s legacy in the region. Hat-trick on the final day to become the 🔝 scorer in the #RoshnSaudiLeague? Just Julian Quinones things 😎 🎩 pic.twitter.com/hcpThT81q9— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) May 24, 2026 Ronaldo also achieved a long-awaited milestone by helping Al-Nassr secure the Saudi Pro League title for the first time since 2019. After years of frustration and near misses, the Portuguese superstar finally lifted the domestic trophy that had previously escaped him in Saudi Arabia. Quinones makes official decision on his future As speculation around his future intensified following his Golden Boot triumph, Julian Quinones officially signed a contract renewal with Al-Qadisiyah until 2029, ending rumors about a potential departure. The Saudi club confirmed the extension through a high-profile social media announcement, presenting the Mexico international as one of the central figures of its long-term project. The club revealed the agreement was finalized alongside CEO James Bisgrove at the club’s headquarters in Khobar. البانثيرا مكمل .. كتابة تاريخه معانا 🐅✍🏻#القادسية | #جوليان_مكمل pic.twitter.com/1j4J761OYw— نادي القادسية السعودي (@Alqadsiah) May 25, 2026 The renewal represents a massive statement from Al-Qadisiyah, especially after Quinones established himself as one of the league’s elite forwards. Since arriving from Club America in 2024, he has reportedly contributed 62 goals and 12 assists for the club. المجد باقي .. من فصوله كثير 🐅❤️#القادسية | #جوليان_مكمل pic.twitter.com/BmrtWgEhyJ— نادي القادسية السعودي (@Alqadsiah) May 25, 2026 His performances throughout the season consistently delivered results in decisive moments. The striker collected 14 Man of the Match awards during the campaign, underlining his importance to the club.

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Cristiano Ronaldo eclipsed as Toney and Quinones set all-time Saudi Pro League goalscoring record

worldsoccertalk.com · last month

Ivan Toney and Julian Quinones reached a historic scoring milestone in the Saudi Pro League, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo in the process. Cristiano Ronaldo is on the verge of winning his first Saudi Pro League title since joining Al Nassr during the 2022-23 season. However, he has been overshadowed by Ivan Toney and Julian Quinones, who achieved a historic scoring record. “For the first time in RSL history, two players hit the 30+ goal mark in the same season,” the Saudi Pro League announced Thursday through a social media post alongside photos of Toney and Quinones. The English striker remains at the top of the league scoring chart thanks to the 31 goals he has scored for Al Ahli, an impressive achievement considering he has played only 30 matches. He crossed the 30-goal mark last week with a hat trick against Al Fateh before adding another goal Monday against Al Taawoun. Quinones, meanwhile, sits second in the rankings with 30 goals. He reached that total on Thursday after scoring Al Qadsiah’s opener in a 2-0 win over Al Hazem. The Colombia-born player, who represents Mexico internationally, has maintained a perfect ratio this season with the same number of goals as matches played. For the first time in RSL history, two players hit the 30+ goal mark in the same season 🔥Ivan Toney 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿Julian Quinones 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/wJc1rWCPLX— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) May 14, 2026 Cristiano Ronaldo falls behind In the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League scoring standings, Cristiano Ronaldo sits in third place behind only Ivan Toney and Julian Quinones. With Al Nassr, the Portuguese star has recorded 26 goals in 29 matches, highlighting his enormous impact on a team that is one step away from winning the title. It is worth noting that Ronaldo missed four Al Nassr matches during this Saudi Pro League season. Two of those absences came in February, while the other two occurred in March because of a hamstring injury that also kept him out during the FIFA international break with Portugal. Those missed matches proved decisive in the race to finish as the league’s top scorer. Has Cristiano Ronaldo ever reached 30 goals in the Saudi Pro League? The Saudi Pro League highlighted Ivan Toney and Julian Quinones on Thursday because it marked the first time that two players have surpassed the 30-goal mark in the same season. However, there have been previous cases of players individually reaching that milestone, and Cristiano Ronaldo is obviously one of them. The Portuguese forward delivered his best Saudi Pro League campaign during the 2023-24 season, when he scored 35 goals in 31 matches. That remains the only time he has crossed the 30-goal barrier. His first appearance in the league came during the 2022-23 campaign, when he arrived midway through the season and still managed to score 14 goals. In 2024-25, Ronaldo had what has so far been his least productive season, recording 25 goals in 30 matches.

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