Julián Quiñones’ wife shares emotional reaction after Mexico star breaks South Africa's hearts in World Cup opener

Julián Quiñones could hardly have imagined a more memorable introduction to the FIFA World Cup.

The Mexico forward etched his name into football history on Thursday night when he scored the opening goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first player to find the net at the tournament during his very first World Cup appearance.

As celebrations erupted inside a packed Estadio Azteca, one of the most emotional reactions came from his wife, Mexican model and influencer Ana Gabriela, who proudly shared her excitement on social media moments after the historic strike.

Following Quiñones’ breakthrough moment against South Africa, his stunning WAG Ana Gabriela took to Instagram with a simple but powerful message: “¡¡El primer gol del Mundial!!” Translated into English, the post read: “The first goal of the World Cup!!”

The message quickly caught the attention of fans, with Quiñones himself later resharing the post on his own Instagram account as he celebrated one of the biggest moments of his career

Behind Quiñones’ rise has been the steady support of the stunning model Ana Gabriela, who has accompanied him through some of the biggest chapters of his career.

The couple began dating in 2020 and married in 2022 before welcoming their daughter, Alanna, in December 2023.

Together they have navigated several major milestones, including Quiñones’ decision to represent Mexico internationally and his move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadsiah.

Born in Colombia, Quiñones spent much of his professional career building his reputation in Mexican football before becoming a naturalized Mexican citizen in October 2023.

As a result, he did not feature at previous World Cups and arrived at the 2026 tournament preparing for his first appearance on football’s biggest stage. He needed just nine minutes to make it unforgettable.

After South Africa lost possession near their own penalty area, midfielder Érik Lira capitalized and fed the ball into Quiñones’ path. The striker calmly cut inside before firing a right-footed effort through the legs of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to send more than 80,000 supporters inside the Estadio Azteca into celebration.

The goal was not only Quiñones’ first at a World Cup. It was also the first goal scored by any player at the entire 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Mexico would go on to secure a 2-0 victory thanks to a second-half strike from Raúl Jiménez, with Quiñones earning Man of the Match honours after his history-making performance.