Julián Quiñones finished 28th in the Ballon d'Or: the numbers that got him there
The Al-Qadsiah forward closed out 2025/26 with 41 goals for club and country. His league scoring title and four World Cup goals backed up the nomination.
Julián Quiñones finished 28th in the 2026 Ballon d'Or voting after pairing a prolific season in Saudi Arabia with a standout World Cup for Mexico. He was among the 30 candidates for the award and finished ahead of Sadio Mané and William Saliba, who tied for 29th.
Golden Boot winner in Saudi Arabia
The first part of his case was built at Al-Qadsiah. In the 2025/26 Saudi league season he scored 33 goals in 31 matches, better than a goal per game. He finished as the league's top scorer, ahead of Ivan Toney, who had 32, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who finished with 28.
The race went down to the final matchday: Quiñones scored a hat trick that clinched the league's Golden Boot.
Four goals at the World Cup
He then carried that production over to the Mexico national team. At the 2026 World Cup he scored against South Africa, Czechia, Ecuador and England. His goal against South Africa was also the first of the entire tournament.
With four goals in five matches, he matched Luis Hernández's record for a Mexican player at a single World Cup, set at France 1998. He also added an assist during El Tri's run to the round of 16.
His full season tally came to 41 goals and five assists in 46 matches across club and country. Of those goals, 37 came for Al-Qadsiah.
I've worked hard for this moment, and now it's happened.
Before that recognition, Quiñones had already been part of back-to-back title runs with Atlas and América. His move to Saudi football in 2024 opened a new chapter in a career that ultimately landed him among the Ballon d'Or nominees.
“I've worked hard for this moment, and now it's happened,” he said in September while celebrating his nomination.
Sources: TUDN
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