Quiñones joins Pelé in select group of World Cup record-holders
Meet the players who scored the first goal at each World Cup.
The origins of football’s greatest festival are closely linked to France. The scorer of the first goal in FIFA World Cup history was Frenchman Lucien Laurent, who found the net on 13 July 1930 in the opening match of the tournament, as France faced Mexico.
From that moment on, the World Cup became a stage for some of the game’s greatest legends. Brazilian icon Pelé became the first player to score in at least four consecutive World Cups, while his brilliant teammate Garrincha also secured his place among the tournament’s immortals.
In the tournament’s early editions, the players who opened the scoring largely came from Europe and South America. After Laurent’s historic strike, Argentine forward Ernesto Belis scored the first goal of 1934 FIFA World Cup, followed by German international Josef Gauchel at 1938 FIFA World Cup.
When the World Cup returned in 1950 FIFA World Cup, local hero Ademir de Menezes thrilled home supporters by scoring the tournament’s opening goal. Four years later, at 1954 FIFA World Cup, Yugoslav forward Miloš Milutinović achieved the same feat.
By the end of the 1950s, host nations and South American powers continued to set the tone from the opening whistle. Swedish striker Agne Simonsson scored the first goal of 1958 FIFA World Cup, making home advantage count for the hosts.
At the next edition, 1962 FIFA World Cup, Argentine forward Héctor Facundo scored the tournament’s opening goal, extending the tradition of South American goalscorers making their mark early.
The late 1960s and early 1970s produced several memorable milestones. At 1966 FIFA World Cup, Pelé opened the scoring for Brazil, adding another chapter to his extraordinary legacy.
Four years later, at the first World Cup staged in North America, 1970 FIFA World Cup, Bulgarian forward Dinko Dermendzhiev surprised many by scoring the tournament’s first goal.
The late 1970s and the 1980s were defined by several prominent European stars who took on the role of opening the tournament’s scoring.
German midfielder Paul Breitner scored the first goal of 1974 FIFA World Cup, while French forward Bernard Lacombe did the same at 1978 FIFA World Cup. In the following editions, Belgian striker Erwin Vandenbergh opened the scoring at 1982 FIFA World Cup, while Italian forward Alessandro Altobelli repeated the feat at 1986 FIFA World Cup.
The 1990s brought historic upsets and new protagonists. At 1990 FIFA World Cup, Cameroonian striker François Omam-Biyik stunned the football world with the tournament’s opening goal, marking a landmark moment for African football.
In subsequent editions, German forward Jürgen Klinsmann scored the first goal at 1994 FIFA World Cup, Brazil’s César Sampaio opened the scoring at 1998 FIFA World Cup, and Senegal’s Papa Bouba Diop produced a historic moment with the first goal of 2002 FIFA World Cup.
The 21st century has delivered several spectacular opening goals, along with one unique entry in FIFA’s record books. German full-back Philipp Lahm scored a stunning opener at 2006 FIFA World Cup, while midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala ignited the passion of the host nation with the first goal of 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The most unusual moment came at 2014 FIFA World Cup, when Brazilian defender Marcelo scored an own goal, becoming the first player in World Cup history to open a tournament by putting the ball into his own net.
More recent editions have continued the tradition of memorable opening goals. Russian midfielder Yuri Gazinsky scored the first goal of 2018 FIFA World Cup in front of a home crowd, while Ecuadorian striker Enner Valencia made history by scoring the tournament’s opening goal at 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Players who scored the first goal of each World Cup
- Uruguay 1930: Lucien Laurent (France)
- Italy 1934: Ernesto Belis (Argentina)
- France 1938: Josef Gauchel (Germany)
- Brazil 1950: Ademir de Menezes (Brazil)
- Switzerland 1954: Miloš Milutinović (Yugoslavia)
- Sweden 1958: Agne Simonsson (Sweden)
- Chile 1962: Héctor Facundo (Argentina)
- England 1966: Pelé (Brazil)
- Mexico 1970: Dinko Dermendzhiev (Bulgaria)
- Germany 1974: Paul Breitner (Germany)
- Argentina 1978: Bernard Lacombe (France)
- Spain 1982: Erwin Vandenbergh (Belgium)
- Mexico 1986: Alessandro Altobelli (Italy)
- Italy 1990: François Omam-Biyik (Cameroon)
- United States 1994: Jürgen Klinsmann (Germany)
- France 1998: César Sampaio (Brazil)
- Korea–Japan 2002: Papa Bouba Diop (Senegal)
- Germany 2006: Philipp Lahm (Germany)
- South Africa 2010: Siphiwe Tshabalala (South Africa)
- Brazil 2014: Marcelo (Brazil, own goal)
- Russia 2018: Yuri Gazinsky (Russia)
- Qatar 2022: Enner Valencia (Ecuador)
- Mexico, United States, Canada 2026: Julián Quiñones (Mexico)
Related stories
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.
Complete your personal details to comment