Mexico's Julian Quinones scores the opening goal of the World Cup as the host nation makes a flying start

Mexico's Julian Quinones scores the opening goal of the World Cup as the host nation makes a flying start
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The 2026 World Cup has finally kicked off with Mexico, one of the co-hosts, taking on South Africa in the curtain-raiser at the legendary Azteca stadium.

It is a repeat of the 2010 World Cup's opener, where Siphiwe Tshabalala netted a stunning 55th minute goal to give the South Africans a 1-0 lead.

This time, the roles were reversed, and Quinones was the player to score the first goal of the 2026 World Cup.

The forward took advantage of some poor defending by the South Africans to slot the ball through the legs of Ronwen Williams.

Keep up with the opening day of the World Cup via our live updates!