Quiñones after saying goodbye to the World Cup. The old man was wrong

Saudi Al-Qadisiya forward Julian Quiñones has commented on the decision to substitute him in the 2026 World Cup round of 16 match between Mexico and England, a decision that sparked widespread controversy among fans after Mexico’s exit from the tournament after he scored his country’s first goal in a 3-2 defeat.

In a video posted on his Instagram page, Quiñones expressed his surprise at the decision of Javier Aguirre, the coach of the national team. Speaking to his tattoo artist about that match, Quiñones made a statement that quickly gained attention, as the Mexican forward said, recalling the moment he left the pitch, the website reports. ESPN:“Yes, yes, the old man made a mistake in the substitution.”

The substitution came in the 81st minute when Aguirre decided to bring on Guillermo Martinez for Quiñones, a decision that was heavily criticized as the striker was one of Mexico’s most dangerous players in the match and the most popular player throughout the tournament.

Quiñones finished the World Cup as one of Mexico’s standout stars; With four goals, he tied Javier Hernández and Luis Hernández’s record as Mexico’s top scorer in World Cup history. He also scored another goal, directly contributing to five goals during the tournament.

Despite being out against England, he confirmed Quiñones said he leaves the tournament feeling proud to have played in his first World Cup with MexicoAnd the great public exposure that the team received, saying: “I was so excited to play for the team, the atmosphere was so crazy we couldn’t walk to the airport.”