At 35, Raul Jimenez reached a deeply emotional milestone on Thursday by scoring the first World Cup goal of his career in Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa.
The veteran striker celebrated with visible emotion, a powerful moment nearly six years after one of the most difficult periods of his career.
Back in November 2020, while playing for Wolverhampton, Jimenez suffered a serious head injury during a match against Arsenal following a collision with defender David Luiz. The incident sidelined him for months and raised major concerns about his future in football.
After a long recovery process, he made his return to competition eight months later and has continued to wear protective headgear ever since.
Now back on the world stage, Jimenez marked the occasion in memorable fashion, finding the net with a decisive header to help Mexico secure a 2-0 victory over South Africa at the 2026 World Cup.
