Quinones is the first Mexican to score an opening goal at the global showpiece
No team that has scored the opening goal has gone on to lift the trophy
The quickest opener came in 1978, courtesy of Bernard Lacombe
The first goal at a FIFA World Cup™ resonates well beyond the immediate result. It is the moment the tournament properly comes to life, when one player – plucked from a cast of hundreds – takes centre stage, briefly the undisputed star of the most watched sporting spectacle on earth.
This is a roll call of those fleeting protagonists: from Lucien Laurent, who wrote the opening line in Uruguay in 1930, to the most recent addition, Julian Quinones, whose goal set Mexico on their way to victory over South Africa at the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
1930 FIFA World Cup Uruguay | Lucien Laurent (France)
France 4-1 Mexico
Laurent etched his name into history by striking the first goal at FIFA’s flagship men’s tournament, finding the net in the 19th minute as France swept aside Mexico.
1934 FIFA World Cup Italy | Ernesto Belis (Argentina)
Sweden 3-2 Argentina
Barely four minutes had elapsed when Belis put La Albiceleste in front, only for Sweden to recover and turn the tie on its head to progress.
1938 FIFA World Cup France | Josef Gauchel (Germany)
Switzerland 1-1 Germany
Gauchel broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, but Switzerland then drew level and ultimately went through to the next round after winning the replay 4-2.
1950 FIFA World Cup Brazil | Ademir (Brazil)
Brazil 4-0 Mexico
At a heaving Maracana stadium, Ademir provided the tournament’s first breakthrough on the half-hour, setting Brazil on course for a commanding win.
1954 FIFA World Cup Switzerland | Milos Milutinovic (Yugoslavia)
Yugoslavia 1-0 France
With four matches kicking off simultaneously to mark the start of the tournament, it was Milutinovic who drew first blood after 15 minutes, his goal proving decisive in the narrow victory over France.
1958 FIFA World Cup Sweden™ | Agne Simonsson (Sweden)
Sweden 3-0 Mexico The hosts wasted little time in asserting themselves; Simonsson fired them ahead in the 17th minute to set the tone for victory.
1962 FIFA World Cup Chile™ | Hector Facundo (Argentina)
Argentina 1-0 Bulgaria
In a repeat of the 1954 instalment, the opening day featured four matches played simultaneously. The Argentinian Facundo struck first, needing just four minutes to settle the contest.
1966 FIFA World Cup England™ | Pele (Brazil)
Brazil 2-0 Bulgaria
After the goalless curtain-raiser between England and Uruguay, Brazil’s Pele provided the tournament’s first goal with a rasping free kick in the 15th minute.
1970 FIFA World Cup Mexico™ | Dinko Dermendzhiev (Bulgaria)
Peru 3-2 Bulgaria
Dermendzhiev opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a finely worked move on the edge of the box to put Bulgaria in front early on, though Peru rallied to claim the spoils and secured their first-ever World Cup victory.
1974 FIFA World Cup West Germany | Paul Breitner (West Germany)
West Germany 1-0 Chile
With the defending champions now opening proceedings, the tournament began in subdued fashion as Brazil’s meeting with Yugoslavia finished goalless. West Germany’s Breitner supplied the breakthrough in the 18th minute with a powerful effort that proved enough to separate the sides.
1978 FIFA World Cup Argentina | Bernard Lacombe (France)
Italy 2-1 France
After an opening stalemate, Lacombe needed barely a minute to head home the first goal of the global showpiece and put France in front, though Italy had the final say.
1982 FIFA World Cup Spain | Erwin Vandenbergh (Belgium)
Argentina 0-1 Belgium
Belgium stunned the reigning champions when Vandenbergh’s composed finish in the 62nd minute sealed the Europeans’ victory.
1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico™ | Alessandro Altobelli (Italy)
Italy 1-1 Bulgaria
Altobelli ghosted in before half-time to turn home a cross and register the tournament’s first strike, though Bulgaria equalised in the final moments.
1990 FIFA World Cup Italy | Francois Omam-Biyik (Cameroon)
Argentina 0-1 Cameroon
One of the biggest upsets in FIFA World Cup history began with Omam-Biyik’s second-half header, which proved enough to topple defending champions Argentina.
1994 FIFA World Cup USA | Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany)
Germany 1-0 Bolivia
Klinsmann was on hand to convert from close range in the 61st minute against Bolivia, getting Germany up and running with the competition’s opening goal.
1998 FIFA World Cup France | Cesar Sampaio (Brazil)
Brazil 2-1 Scotland
Sampaio wasted little time to make his mark. He scored from the corner inside five minutes to hand Brazil an early advantage.
2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan | Papa Bouba Diop (Senegal)
France 0-1 Senegal
Bouba Diop pounced in the 30th minute to hand Senegal a stunning lead. The nation’s first-ever goal at the FIFA World Cup would secure a seismic victory.
2006 FIFA World Cup Germany | Philipp Lahm (Germany)
Germany 4-2 Costa Rica
Lahm bent in a superb effort inside six minutes, igniting the tournament with a goal of real quality.
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa | Siphiwe Tshabalala (South Africa)
South Africa 1-1 Mexico
In the first FIFA World Cup held on African soil, Tshabalala lit up Soccer City in Johannesburg, thundering home a left-footed strike in the 55th minute and sending the home crowd into rapture.
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil | Marcelo (Brazil, own goal)
Brazil 3-1 Croatia
Marcelo, the legendary Brazilian left-back, became the first player to kick off the competition with an own goal, handing Croatia an early lead before the hosts recovered.
2018 FIFA World Cup Russia | Yuri Gazinsky (Russia)
Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia
Gazinsky got the hosts off to a flying start; his clinical header in the 12th minute set Russia on their way to an emphatic opening-night win.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 | Enner Valencia (Ecuador)
Qatar 0-2 Ecuador
Valencia coolly converted from the spot in the 16th minute to open the scoring and seal the first-ever defeat for a host nation in an opening match of the FIFA World Cup.
FIFA World Cup 2026 | Julian Quinones (Mexico)
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
Quinones applied the finishing touch in the ninth minute, capping sustained pressure with a composed effort to get the tournament under way.