World Cup 2026: Julián Quiñones scores one fastest ever in tournament curtain-raiser

Julián Quiñones etched his name into World Cup history after scoring one of the fastest goals ever recorded in an opening match, giving Mexico a dream start against South Africa just nine minutes into the tournament.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup could hardly have begun in more dramatic fashion. In the competition’s opening fixture, Mexico needed only a few minutes to make an immediate impact, capitalising on a costly mistake by South Africa to take the lead and set the tone for the tournament.

The goal came after a turnover by Bafana Bafana, allowing Quiñones to seize the opportunity and become the latest player to score the first goal of a World Cup finals.

Beyond giving Mexico an early advantage, the strike secured a place in the tournament’s record books.

According to the statistics surrounding World Cup opening matches, Quiñones’ effort ranks among the fastest goals ever scored in the first game of the competition.

The Mexican forward found the net after just nine minutes, placing his name alongside some of the most memorable early scorers in World Cup history.

Only two players have struck earlier in a World Cup opener.

The fastest goal in an opening match remains the one scored by Brazil’s César Sampaio at the 1998 World Cup.

Sampaio found the net after only four minutes, setting a benchmark that has stood for decades.

The second-fastest opening-match goal belongs to Germany’s Philipp Lahm.

During the 2006 World Cup curtain-raiser, Lahm scored after six minutes, giving the hosts a perfect start to the tournament and producing one of the most memorable moments of that competition.

Quiñones now joins that exclusive group.

His goal against South Africa became the third-fastest strike ever recorded in a World Cup opening fixture, underlining both the significance of the moment and the speed with which Mexico announced their intentions.

For Mexico, the goal represented more than a statistical achievement.

Opening matches often carry enormous pressure.

They set the atmosphere for the tournament and can influence the confidence of a team throughout the group stage.

Scoring early in such circumstances can provide an immediate psychological advantage while energising players and supporters alike.

The speed of the breakthrough also ensured that the 2026 World Cup began with excitement rather than caution.

Opening games are sometimes characterised by nervous starts, but Mexico’s aggressive approach quickly changed that narrative.

Quiñones’ finish immediately became one of the defining moments of the tournament’s first day and guaranteed his place in World Cup history.

The goal also added another chapter to the long tradition of memorable opening-match scorers.

Every World Cup produces a player who scores the competition’s first goal, but only a handful manage to do so quickly enough to enter the record books.

By striking after nine minutes, the Mexican forward achieved exactly that.

The achievement places him behind only César Sampaio’s four-minute effort in 1998 and Philipp Lahm’s six-minute strike in 2006 among players who scored in World Cup opening matches.

As the tournament unfolds, many more goals are likely to capture global attention.

Yet the first goal of a World Cup often retains a special place in football history, particularly when it arrives at such speed.

For Quiñones, a single moment of sharpness and composure was enough to secure that distinction.

Mexico’s opening goal against South Africa not only gave the tournament an energetic beginning but also ensured that the striker’s name would be remembered among the fastest scorers ever seen in a World Cup curtain-raiser.