Raúl Jiménez

Biography

The reference striker of his generation: a champion with América and a standout for Benfica, Wolverhampton and Fulham, Raúl Jiménez is El Tri’s second-highest scorer of all time, behind only Chicharito. He plays with his back to goal, links the play, finishes with his head and appears in the box like few others.

He was developed and broke out at América, where he won his first Liga MX title before making the jump to Europe, first on loan at Atlético Madrid and then permanently at Benfica, the club where he finished polishing his back-to-goal play and his reading of the box. From there he moved to Wolverhampton, where he became one of the most decisive Latin American forwards in the Premier League, already piling up more than forty goals for El Tri.

His career nearly broke in November 2020, when a skull fracture following a collision in the Premier League required emergency surgery and left him on the brink of retirement. Those were months of genuine uncertainty over whether he would play again at all, not just when.

He came back patiently, now plays wearing head protection and, against the odds, rediscovered his best form, first at Wolverhampton and later at Fulham, where he remains an undisputed starter despite the passing years. Few comebacks in recent English football are recounted with as much amazement as his.

Months before this World Cup he faced another blow: he lost his father, who after a long illness had dreamed of seeing him score at the tournament. The "Wolf of Tepeji" answered life with the second goal against Ecuador that sealed the last-16 spot — the goal his dad had longed for, celebrated with a mix of grief and relief visible on his face.

More than for the blows he has taken, Raúl is remembered for the calm with which he always comes back. At 35 he remains the number nine Mexico trusts when a match tightens, and tonight, with England waiting at the Azteca, he once again carries an entire country’s hopes on his shoulders.