Julián Quiñones’ bluish, almost purple, boots were a spectacle in Toluca. He danced here, tricked there, and vanished into the back. The attacker is one of the great advantages the Mexican national team has for facing the World Cup at home. 58 minutes against Serbia (5-1) were enough to show that he is a bullet train capable of paving the way for his country against South Africa, South Korea, and Czechia.
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Quiñones (Nariño, 29 years old) spent the last year collecting TikTok clips of the 33 goals he scored during the season at Al Qadisiya in Saudi Arabia. He surpassed Englishman Ivan Toney (Al Ahli, 32 goals) and a forty-something named Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr, 27 goals). Quiñones has used Arab football to rub shoulders with those footballers who wanted to be part of the new global league. Quiñones left for there in 2024 after making Atlas, one of the clubs with the worst title streak, champion.
After 70 years of drought, he helped the “rojinegros” (red-and-blacks) lift the Liga MX title twice (2021 and 2022). This led him to be signed by Club América for one of their best golden eras, in which he won two more championships (2023 and 2024). Furthermore, he can boast another pair of champion trophies with Tigres (2016 and 2019). He is a guy who knows how to live with success.
What Quiñones showed in a friendly against Belgium, at the end of March, greatly impressed Javier Aguirre. The attacker could offer many alternatives in attack as a center forward or as a winger on the right or left. Also, even, be the team’s number 10 behind another striker. Against Serbia, this Thursday, he showed that ability to create space with just a hip movement, very much in the style of NFL runners. The left wing seems to be his. “He has power, he’s opportunistic, he scores goals, he sacrifices defensively. We have to take advantage of him, he’s Mexican,” Aguirre described last May, who held him up as a mirror to Hugo Sánchez when, before the 1986 World Cup, he was Real Madrid’s top scorer, and although both clubs are not comparable, good goal-scoring form always boosts teams.
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“I feel very well accompanied by great players on the field and they make me feel that confidence to move, to have freedom with the ball, and that generates self-confidence in me to give my best,” Quiñones told TUDN after the 5-1 thrashing. One of his solo plays ended up hitting the post, and the rebound fell to Raúl Jiménez. Not bad for a team that needs to rediscover its scoring touch.
The issue for Aguirre’s tactical board is to assess who can accompany him in the offense. On the right side, it is almost certain that Roberto Alvarado will continue, despite his lack of accuracy. As a center forward, Jiménez has an advantage due to his good rhythm and veteran status, although it will depend on the opponent. Against South Africa and Czechia, a colossus like Guillermo Martínez could be useful, or taking advantage of the cunning of Armando Hormiga González. And, of course, having the agility of Santiago Giménez, who is looking for his first goal of the year. The Mexican national team needs everyone to change its script in the history of World Cups.
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