Julian Kenyonis Reacts After Scoring First Goal of 2026 World Cup

Julian Kenyonis, the striker for Saudi club Al-Qadsiah and the Mexico national team, shared his excitement following his historic goal in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup, held on Sunday night against South Africa.

Kenyonis scored the first goal in Mexico’s 2-0 victory, which took place in the first round of Group A. This group also includes South Korea and the Czech Republic, with South Korea winning their second match 2-1.

In a televised interview after the game, Kenyonis said, "I am extremely happy and excited to have scored my first World Cup goal in this magnificent stadium, which was filled with fans supporting us from the first minute."

He added, "This means a lot to me personally, but I must also commend my teammates, as their role was essential in securing our first three points in the tournament."

Kenyonis continued, "I believe the fans have shown tremendous support for us over the past days, and we felt that through social media and everywhere else."

He further explained, "The fans were connected to us, and we were connected to them as well. Today, that connection was clearly visible on the pitch and was a crucial factor that helped us enter the match with a winning mindset and the desire to succeed."

Regarding improvements ahead of the match against South Korea, Kenyonis stated, "If there is something we need to work on, it is maintaining continuous pressure on our opponents."

He clarified, "We applied good pressure during many phases of the match, but the pressure must be sustained throughout, especially when playing at home in front of our supporters. This is fundamental, and we will focus on it moving forward."

Concluding his remarks, Kenyonis said, "I think we played a good match today, but there is still room for improvement. We will keep working and preparing to perform better in the upcoming games."