The 2022 FIFA World Cup is here, and that means it’s time for Raúl Jiménez to strap on his headband.
The 31-year-old forward, who plays for English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers and Mexico’s national team, will be joining his country for the tournament.
Jiménez had represented Mexico in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, the 2013 and 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cups, the 2013 and 2017 FIFA Confederations Cups, the 2015 Copa América and the Copa América Centenario.
He began his career in Club América’s youth system and joined the first team in October 2011. After his time in Liga MX, Jiménez made his mark with La Liga’s Atlético Madrid and Premeira Liga’s SL Benfica before joining the Wolves in 2018. Simultaneously, Jiménez played for the Mexico under-20 and under-23 squad before being promoted to the senior team in 2013.
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And despite a severe injury to his skull, the two-time World Cup-appearing forward shows no weakness when it comes to playing.
Let’s take a deeper dive into Jiménez’s life before we see him attempt to bring Mexico to glory this year. Here are five notable facts about Jiménez:
He was born in Tepeji, Mexico
Best known for his presence in the penalty box, Raúl Jiménez was born on May 5, 1991, in Tepeji, Mexico to a middle-class family. He grew up alongside two other siblings, and his younger brother, Raul Andre, has also started a career in football.
He plays on the Wolverhampton Wanderers
The Mexican striker currently plays in the English Premier League with the Wolverhampton Wanderers. He joined the club in June 2018.
Jiménez appeared in most of the Wanderers’ Premier League matches in the 2021-22 season. He made 34 appearances overall and played 2,637 minutes. He was selected in the starting XI in 30 of these appearances across 38 fixtures, entering as a substitute on four occasions, as well.
Jiménez was the PFA Player of the Month in November 2019. The striker was also the Wolverhampton Wanderers Player of the Season in the 2019-20 campaign. Not to mention, he won the Golden Ball during the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2019 for Mexico.
Jiménez won his first championship with Club América
His career began with him playing in Club América’s youth system. He won his first championship with Club América in Liga MX in 2013 before moving to play in Spain with Atlético Madrid.
He was part of a medal-winning Olympic team
Jiménez was chosen by coach Luis Fernando Tena to participate in the Toulon Tournament. The striker was part of the Mexico under-23 squad, which won a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics. Mexico won the title after defeating Turkey 3-0.
Jiménez suffered a life-threatening injury
On Nov. 29, 2020, after colliding with center-back David Luiz during a game against Arsenal, Jiménez suffered a fractured skull. His doctors told him it was a miracle he survived. Jiménez says he has no memory of the collision and now wears a headband with reinforced padding for his matches.
