A man who just wanted to stay alive 6 years ago

Raul Jimenez scored his first World Cup goal for Mexico in the 67th minute of the 2026 tournament opener, marking a deeply personal milestone after years of recovery and loss.

Jimenez was left with a fractured skull after a heavy clash of heads with David Luiz in 2020, an injury that put his life at risk and led him to spend months rebuilding his neck strength before returning to football with a headband a year later.

The goal carried added weight after the death of his father, Raul Jimenez Vega, earlier this year. His father had followed his son’s recovery closely and had long hoped to see him score at a World Cup.

Jimenez headed home to send Estadio Azteca into celebration, then pointed to the sky through tears as he dedicated the moment to his father. The strike secured his place in Mexico’s World Cup history and capped a comeback that once seemed unlikely.