Julián Quiñones made the list of 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, an award organized by France Football magazine, after emerging as one of the standout players for the Mexican national team during the World Cup.
The Mexican forward scored four goals at the 2026 World Cup and was ranked among the tournament’s best players according to FIFA statistics. His performance earned him a spot in the select group of candidates for the prestigious award.
A great World Cup after a Saudi season filled with goals
Quiñones, 29, played in the World Cup as one of the main offensive threats for the team coached by Javier Aguirre. His performance in the tournament reinforced the importance he has gained within the Mexican national team, now under the leadership of Rafael Márquez.
Quiñones’ path to this recognition also has a unique story behind it. He was born in Colombia but arrived in Mexico before turning 18. In Mexican soccer, he worked his way up from the lower divisions to winning two back-to-back championships—one with Atlas and another with América.
Despite his outstanding performance at the World Cup, the forward decided to remain with Al-Qadisiyah in Saudi Arabia, the club for which he scored 33 goals last season and where he has established himself as one of the world’s top scorers.
Later, the forward made the leap to Saudi Arabian soccer, where Al-Qadisiyah signed him to a multi-million-dollar contract.
Continuing Mexico’s football legacy
During the 2026 World Cup, Quiñones defended his decision to compete at the highest level despite not playing in Europe.
“Even though some of us aren’t in Europe, that doesn’t mean we aren’t working as hard as we can to be at the highest possible level. Being in Europe isn’t an indicator that they’re better than us,” he said during the World Cup.
The nomination also represents an important milestone for Mexican soccer. In previous years, players such as Guillermo Ochoa, Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, and Andrés Guardado had been among the nominees, but none had made it onto the shortlist of 30 players.
Quiñones is now part of that list alongside some of the world’s greatest soccer stars. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Lamine Yamal are also among the candidates for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
Other big names nominated
Messi, 39, will be aiming to win the ninth Ballon d’Or of his career. The Argentine led his national team to the World Cup final against Spain, a match that ended in a 1-0 Spanish victory. During the tournament, he scored eight goals and recorded four assists.
Mbappé is also among the top contenders. The Frenchman finished as the top scorer of the 2026 World Cup with 10 goals in eight matches and reached 22 goals in World Cup history. In the 2025–2026 season, the Real Madrid forward recorded 58 goals and 13 assists in 60 games, while Messi finished with 45 goals and 30 assists in 49 matches.
When will the winner be announced?
The winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or will be announced on October 26 in London.
For Quiñones, the nomination confirms the impact he had at the World Cup and places him among the 30 players considered for one of the most important individual awards in international soccer.
