Julian Quinones' journey to becoming a celebrated figure in Mexican football is an unconventional one, marked by humble beginnings in Colombia and a deep connection forged with his adopted country. Now a vital player for Mexico, he is poised to be a significant force in upcoming matches.
Quinones was born in Magui Payan, a remote village in southern Colombia, where he experienced significant poverty. "It's a very far away, forgotten village," he stated in a recent interview. The challenges of his upbringing, he noted, fuel his determination. "Knowing I could overcome everything, even with all the difficulties and the lack of support, motivates me even more to keep on fighting, doing my best with every ball I get and in every match. I also do it for my family."
At 17, Quinones left his local amateur team, Futbol Paz, to join the Mexican club Tigres. He admitted to initial hesitation about leaving his home country to pursue new goals. Over the following years, Mexico became like a second home to him; he is now married to a Mexican woman and has children there.
He spent eight years in Mexico with Tigres, Atlas, and Club America, undertaking three loan spells during that period. Despite representing Colombia at youth levels in 2017 and 2018 and scoring over 70 goals in the Mexican top flight, he received no call-ups from his native country.
By the time an offer came from Colombia in 2023, Quinones had become eligible to play for Mexico through naturalization and chose to represent his adopted nation instead. "I found a very generous country," he said. "People welcome you, help you stand out, grow personally, and I loved it, so, little by little, I started to settle, I felt welcomed. I'll always be very grateful for those moments." He added, "Mexico made me a great person. I didn't have great references from Colombia, because I was not very wise back then, but Mexico welcomed me with arms wide open, knowing one has good and bad moments in life. I learnt a lot from that."
During his permanent spells with Mexican clubs, Quinones secured six league titles, two with each team. The Mexican league crowns two champions each year, contributing to this title count.