From fighting for life to scoring on football's biggest stage, Jiménez's comeback story

On a cold November evening in 2020, few could have imagined that Raúl Jiménez would one day celebrate a World Cup goal again.

Playing for Wolves against Arsenal in the English Premier League, the Mexican striker suffered a horrific head injury after a collision with Brazilian defender David Luiz. Jiménez received oxygen on the pitch before being carried off on a stretcher and rushed to hospital, where he underwent surgery for a major traumatic brain injury (TBI) and skull fracture.

For months, the focus around him was not on goals, trophies, or records, but on a far more basic question: whether he would ever play football again.

The injury was so severe that he required emergency surgery, and for a time there were real fears that he might never return to the sport. In a later interview, Jiménez revealed that doctors described his survival as a “miracle.”

The road back was long and uncertain. He spent months recovering before gradually returning to training, eventually doing so with protective headgear. Step by step, he rebuilt his fitness, regained confidence, and proved he could still compete at the highest level after one of the most serious injuries a footballer can suffer.

Yet he refused to surrender.

Raúl Jiménez’s recovery is widely regarded as one of the most remarkable comeback stories in modern football, not only because of its sporting difficulty, but because the injury itself was potentially life-threatening.

He returned to competitive football in August 2021, meaning his rehabilitation lasted roughly nine months.

Gradually, the goals returned. First came his comeback at club level, followed by a revival with Mexico’s national team. Each appearance marked another step away from the hospital bed and closer to the player he once was.

Now, years after the incident that threatened both his career and his life, Jiménez has delivered one of the most emotional moments of the 2026 World Cup. Playing in front of his compatriots at the Azteca Stadium, he rose to head home a powerful finish, celebrating with teammates as the stadium erupted and millions watched worldwide.

Jiménez was visibly emotional—an image that echoed the thousands who once prayed for his recovery in 2020. It was his first World Cup goal in his fourth appearance.

What could be a more fitting moment than scoring in a World Cup opener, in front of a roaring home crowd at the Azteca Stadium?

The goal itself will be recorded in statistics. But the story behind it is far greater than a number on a scoresheet.

For Mexico, it was an important World Cup goal. For Raúl Jiménez, it was the culmination of a journey defined by fear, uncertainty, and resilience.

Six years ago, he was fighting for his future. Today, he is scoring on football’s grandest stage.