Mexico’s Julián Quiñones nets first goal of World Cup 2026 with clinical nutmeg finish vs. South Africa

The 2026 World Cup is officially underway, with Mexico and South Africa facing off in the first match of the tournament. And it only took nine minutes for Mexico to score the first goal of the World Cup. Julián Quiñones opened the scoring for Mexico — and the tournament as a whole — in dramatic fashion. It all started with a disastrous turnover for South Africa, as keeper Ronwen Williams passed to midfielder Yaya Sithole, who lost possession of the ball and let it fall to Quiñones. That's when the Mexican forward made South Africa pay, sending in a beautiful strike that went between Williams' legs. Williams, who had already held off one big chance from Mexico, was powerless against the nutmeg goal. The goal gave Mexico a 1-0 lead early in the first half. Mexico was already a favorite heading into the game, but the early lead raised their chances even more, and made things much harder for South Africa. This story will be updated.