Julián Quiñones, the Colombian Who Turned Down Colombia to Play for Mexico, Is Now Advancing at the 2026 World Cup

Julián Quiñones, the Colombian Who Turned Down Colombia to Play for Mexico, Is Now Advancing at the 2026 World Cup

Julián Quiñones was born in Magüí Payán, Nariño, in the Pacific lowlands of Colombia, and he will be remembered in Mexican fútbol history as one of the most important figures of the 2026 World Cup. The 26-year-old striker, who completed his Mexican naturalization process and chose to represent El Tri over his country of birth, scored in the opening match against South Africa and contributed again as Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 to advance to the Round of 16. He has become one of the most beloved players in the squad, and the affection runs in both directions.

The question that Colombian fans have been asking since his international debut is a reasonable one: why is Julián Quiñones not playing for Colombia? The answer involves a career built entirely in Mexico, a naturalization process, a personal decision that disappointed the Colombian Football Federation and a choice that Quiñones has never shown any signs of regretting.

Colombia Called and He Said No

The Colombian Football Federation did pursue Quiñones. Federation president Ramón Jesurún confirmed in an interview with Win Sports that the striker was in the plans of coach Néstor Lorenzo and that the federation made genuine efforts to bring him into the national team project. In 2023, when Quiñones was playing some of the best fútbol of his career in Liga MX, there were serious discussions about including him in a call-up for the South American World Cup qualifiers.

He initially responded positively to the interest. Then he called back and said he had made his decision: he wanted to play for Mexico. By that point, his naturalization process was already well advanced, and he had been living and building his life in Mexico for the better part of a decade. The federation accepted his answer and moved on. Quiñones had already represented Colombia at youth level, including the Under-20 national team and competitions such as the Central American and Caribbean Games, so he understood the Colombian fútbol environment before making his final choice. He chose Mexico anyway.

A Career That Made the Decision Inevitable

The story of why Quiñones ended up playing for Mexico rather than Colombia begins with Tigres UANL, the club that recruited him from Colombia as a teenager and became the foundation of his professional development. He made his debut on loan at Venados FC in 2016 before returning to Tigres, and during a subsequent loan spell at Lobos BUAP he scored 17 goals in 28 matches, a run that announced him as a striker of genuine quality.

The defining chapter of his Liga MX career came at Atlas, where he played between 2021 and 2023 and transformed from a promising forward into one of the best strikers in Mexican fútbol. He scored 32 goals in 78 matches and was central to the club’s back-to-back championship wins in the Apertura 2021 and Clausura 2022, a historic double that Atlas had not achieved in decades. His combination of physical power, pace and finishing ability made him one of the most complete attackers in the league.

Club América signed him in 2023 and he maintained the same level, scoring 18 goals in 41 league matches and adding two more titles to his collection. By the time Saudi Arabian club Al-Qadsiah paid approximately 16 million dollars for his transfer, one of the largest fees ever received by a Mexican club for a player, Quiñones had accumulated six Liga MX titles and established himself as one of the defining strikers of his generation in North American fútbol.

His time in Saudi Arabia produced one of the most memorable individual performances of his career, a dominant showing against Al-Nassr in which he scored and assisted in a 3-1 victory, was named player of the match and outscored Cristiano Ronaldo in the final league standings, finishing the season with 33 goals compared to Ronaldo’s 28.

What He Has Meant to Mexico at the 2026 World Cup

Quiñones made his international debut for Mexico in November 2023 and has been a consistent presence in the attack under Javier Aguirre ever since. He arrived at the 2026 World Cup with over 20 international appearances and four goals for El Tri, and he added to that record immediately, scoring in the opening match against South Africa before contributing again later in the group stage. Mexico won all three of their group stage matches, defeating South Africa, South Korea and Czech Republic, and advanced through the Round of 16 by beating Ecuador 2-0. His record with the national team also includes the 2025 Concacaf Nations League and the 2025 Gold Cup, titles that deepened his place within the squad.

The affection between Quiñones and the Mexican fan base has been one of the genuine human stories of El Tri’s World Cup campaign. Mexican supporters have embraced him completely, filling his social media posts with messages of support and frequently repeating a phrase that has become associated with him: “Los mexicanos nacemos donde queremos,” which translates as “We Mexicans are born wherever we want.” Quiñones himself captured the feeling before the tournament when he posted on Instagram that only the people closest to him truly understand what he feels for Mexico and how much he loves the country. “Today more than ever I am happy to be one more Mexican,” he wrote.

Colombia saw what he could do and made its move. He heard the offer, considered it and chose the country that had built him. At the 2026 World Cup, that country is still in the tournament, and he is a reason why.

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