Raul Jimenez Scores Emotional Goal in 2026 World Cup Opener

Mexico City. This moment Raul Jimenez had waited his whole life for seemed impossible just a few years ago.

Due to a severe head injury in November 2020, this Mexican striker's life could have ended on the football field.

Now, less than 6 years later, the 35-year-old player was emotional after scoring a header against South Africa in the first game of the 2026 World Cup at the famous Azteca Stadium, giving Mexico a 2-0 victory.

Jimenez, who capitalized on Roberto Alvarado's right-wing cross to score his second goal for the country, celebrated joyfully and then pointed to the sky. Perhaps he was paying tribute to his father, Raul Jimenez Vega, who passed away last March.

As most of the 80,000 spectators in the stadium celebrated, Mexican players surrounded the Wolves striker. As he realized his achievement, Jimenez's eyes were filled with tears.

Julian Quinones, who gave Mexico the lead with the first goal in the ninth minute of the competition, said, 'We congratulated him a lot because he makes a big contribution to the team.'

'It is our pride to be part of the team. It is wonderful that he continues to add goals in his career as a player for our national team,' he added.

This goal by Jimenez in his 125th match was his 46th goal for his country. With this, he has jointly moved up to second place in the list of Mexico's top scorers. Only Javier Hernandez, with 52 goals, is ahead of him.

As the game started, Jimenez was already setting a new record in his career.

Previously, he had entered the field six times as a substitute in the World Cup; once in the 2014 tournament, twice in 2018, and three times in 2022.

However, appearing in the starting eleven for the first time in the World Cup, he made an impact almost immediately. In the fourth minute, South Africa's Ronwen Williams made an excellent save from a powerful half-volley he struck.

Jimenez, who returned to his old club Wolves from Fulham this week, secured a winning start for co-hosts Mexico by scoring in the 67th minute.

Speaking on ITV, former England defender Gary Neville said, 'From a football perspective, this is probably the biggest moment of his life. Scoring in front of 80,000 spectators in such a big stadium in his own country is a great moment for him.'

Former England striker Ian Wright added, 'It was a very emotional moment for Jimenez. If I were there, I would probably feel the same way. You can see him realizing his achievement as he runs after scoring, and that's where the emotion erupts.'

• That Career-Changing Accident

After playing for Mexican club America, Atletico Madrid, and Benfica, he came to Wolves on loan in 2018-19. That season, he scored 13 goals in the Premier League, helping his team to seventh place and qualifying for European competition.

Wolves then signed him for a then club-record £30 million. In the 2019-20 season, Jimenez scored another 17 goals in the league.

But on November 29, 2020, his life changed.

Jimenez lost consciousness after a collision with Arsenal defender David Luiz's head.

For the next few minutes, his teammates, manager, and family watched with concern about whether he was alive or not. He was given oxygen on the field.

His recovery was very slow. He was not allowed to train with other players for six months and could not play for Wolves for eight months. Finally, in September 2021, he scored his first goal after the injury, scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 win against Southampton.

He moved to Fulham in 2023 and spent three seasons there. Only this week has it been confirmed that he will return to Molineux (Wolves' home ground).

Edu Rubio, who was Wolves' assistant manager in 2022-23, is currently working as an assistant head coach for Major League Soccer team Sporting Kansas City in the USA. He was very happy to see Jimenez's first goal in the World Cup.

Rubio told BBC Sport, 'This means the world to him. He is very proud to play for his country and loves his country very much.'

'He wears the number nine jersey, his country is hosting this World Cup, so everything was favorable for him. This is the first game, there were many spectators, so it's like a dream come true for him and his family.'

Rubio, who has also worked as an assistant manager at Crystal Palace and West Ham, believes Jimenez fully deserved such a moment given the difficult situation he went through.

Rubio said, 'It took him some time to return to his career after the head injury. There were not only medical concerns, but also the question of whether he would be as dangerous in front of goal as before. His dedication is excellent, he is a good person, his family is beautiful and very supportive, which has helped him.'

'He is a very family-oriented person. He is a great player but never acts like one. He is very humble and I am very happy for him.'

'This was a life-threatening injury, and I was very worried about him. At that time, he was playing very well, he was at the peak of his career, and that situation was very difficult.'

But due to Jimenez's strong determination, he has scored 68 Premier League goals in 233 appearances. Even now, to avoid further injury, he has to wear a special protective band on his head.

Rubio added, 'Knowing him, I can understand how he managed to return to the field and his form after the injury. He is a warrior. I worked with him in his last year at Wolves. There were doubts about whether he would return to his previous form, he himself had doubts, and that last year at Wolves was challenging for him.'

'But personally, I had no doubts; I always knew he would make a comeback. I have worked with many excellent professional players. He has patience and a good family to support him.'

'Everyone at Wolves loved him, the whole club wanted him to succeed, and the entire club was committed to him returning to the field. So it was a very emotional moment, not just because of his career, but also because he himself is a very loving person.'

'He valued the club and the city a lot, and his family felt like home there. So I think they will be very happy to be able to return there.'

But before returning to the West Midlands, Jimenez has more opportunities to score World Cup goals in his own country. Mexico has already reached a strong position to advance to the knockout stage.