Julian Quiñones, the Saudi Al-Qadsiah striker, commented on the decision to substitute him during the Mexico vs. England round of 16 match at the 2026 World Cup, a decision that sparked widespread controversy among fans after the Mexican team's elimination following a 3-2 defeat, a match in which he scored his country's first goal.

In a video posted on his Instagram account, Quiñones expressed surprise at the decision of national team coach Javier Aguirre. While talking to his tattoo artist about the match, Quiñones made a statement that quickly drew attention, as the Mexican striker recalled his exit from the field, according to ESPN: 'Oh yeah... the old man made a mistake with the substitutions.'

The substitution came in the 81st minute when Aguirre decided to bring on Guillermo Martínez instead of Quiñones, a decision that faced harsh criticism, as the striker was one of Mexico's most dangerous players in the match and the standout performer throughout the entire tournament.

Quiñones ended the World Cup as one of the Mexican team's top stars; with four goals, he tied the record set by Javier Hernández and Luis Hernández as Mexico's all-time top scorers in World Cup history. He also assisted another goal, directly contributing to five goals in the tournament.

Despite the elimination against England, Quiñones affirmed that he leaves the tournament with a sense of pride for participating in his first World Cup with Mexico and the massive fan support the team received, saying: 'I was very excited to play for the national team; the atmosphere was so crazy that we couldn't walk in the airport.'