The scoreboard at the Estadio Azteca read Mexico 2, South Africa 0. Eighty thousand people were celebrating the perfect start to a home World Cup. Raul Jimenez, meanwhile, was standing in the middle of it all with tears in his eyes.
For most footballers, scoring in a World Cup opener in front of their own supporters would be the defining moment of a career. For Jimenez, it felt like something even bigger. Because there was a time when the idea of playing in another World Cup seemed wildly optimistic.
MEXICO VS SOUTH AFRICA HIGHLIGHTS
There was a time when simply waking up the next morning was the only victory that mattered.
On Thursday night, six years after a skull fracture nearly ended both his career and his life, Jimenez climbed above the South African defence and powered home a header that sent the Azteca into delirium. He pointed towards the sky, thinking of his late father who passed away earlier this year, before emotion finally caught up with him.
FROM THE HOSPITAL BED TO THE WORLD CUP
The image of Jimenez celebrating in Mexico City could hardly have felt further away from what happened on November 29, 2020.
Playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers against Arsenal, the Mexican striker challenged David Luiz for a corner. The collision between the two players was sickening. Jimenez was knocked unconscious and required immediate medical attention before being rushed to hospital.
Doctors later confirmed he had suffered a fractured skull and traumatic brain injury. Emergency surgery followed as medical staff worked to relieve pressure on his brain.
At the time, football became irrelevant.
The conversation was no longer about goals, transfers or form. Family members, teammates and supporters were simply hoping he would recover. Jimenez would later describe his survival as a miracle, while those around him admitted there were moments when they did not know what the future would hold.
The road back was lengthy and uncertain. He spent months recovering before gradually returning to training, initially on his own and later in controlled sessions where contact was limited.
Even basic football actions had to be relearnt. Heading a ball, once one of his greatest strengths, suddenly became something that required trust and confidence all over again.
THE CAREER THAT REFUSED TO END
Returning to the pitch was one challenge. Returning to his previous level was another altogether.
Jimenez came back wearing protective headgear and eventually returned to competitive football in 2021, but the goals did not immediately follow. The striker who had once been linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs appeared to be searching for rhythm and confidence.
His final period at Wolves proved difficult and, by the time he left Molineux in 2023, many wondered whether the best years of his career were behind him.
Instead, he rebuilt it.
A move to Fulham gave him a fresh start and gradually the signs of the old Jimenez began to reappear. His movement improved, his confidence returned and, most importantly, the goals started arriving again.
Mexico never lost faith either.
Over the past two years, Jimenez has played a key role in helping El Tri win both the Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup. While younger forwards emerged around him, the experienced striker continued to earn the trust of coaches through his work rate, intelligence and ability to deliver in big moments.
That consistency ensured he arrived at a fourth World Cup with a chance to make history.
A WORLD CUP MOMENT YEARS IN THE MAKING
Remarkably, despite this being his fourth World Cup, Thursday marked Jimenez’s first start at the tournament.
He had made six substitute appearances across the 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions without ever scoring. For a player who had spent more than a decade leading Mexico’s attack, it was a surprising statistic. That changed in the 67th minute.
When Roberto Alvarado delivered a dangerous cross into the box, Jimenez attacked it instinctively and buried a trademark header beyond Ronwen Williams.
One of the most feared consequences of his injury had been whether he would ever feel comfortable attacking aerial balls again. Yet here he was, scoring perhaps the biggest goal of his career with his head on football’s grandest stage.
As the significance of the moment sank in, so did the emotion.
Earlier this year, Jimenez lost his father, Raul Jimenez Vega, and the celebration quickly became about much more than football. His gesture towards the sky was followed by tears as teammates embraced him in front of an adoring home crowd.
The record books will remember that Jimenez scored Mexico’s second goal in a 2-0 win over South Africa.
They will note that it was his 46th international goal, moving him level with Jared Borgetti as Mexico’s second-highest scorer of all time. They will also remember that he arrived in his first World Cup start after four tournaments.
Yet numbers only tell part of the story.
All of it led to a Thursday night in Mexico City when a striker who once fought for his life found himself scoring at a home World Cup.
FIFA World Cup | FIFA World Cup Schedule | FIFA World Cup Points Table | Football News
– Ends
