Jimenez Leads Mexico After 2020 Skull Fracture
Raul Jimenez is leading the line for Mexico at the World Cup after surviving a life-threatening skull fracture in 2020. The Mexico striker, who has 126 caps and 45 goals, called his return "a miracle" after a collision that left him needing emergency surgery in London.
Jimenez and the 2020 Collision
Jimenez suffered the injury while playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers against Arsenal in 2020. He was rushed to St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, where surgeons relieved pressure on his brain and worked to save his life.
He later described the damage plainly: "The skull fracture… the bone broke, and there was a little bit of bleeding inside the brain". Jimenez added, "It was pushing my brain to the inside, and that is why the surgery had to be quick."
Coady, Nuno and the Recovery
The aftermath was immediate and stark for those around him. Conor Coady said, "I could see he was done. He was out." Nuno Espirito Santo later recalled, "His eyes were shut and he had a little bit of blood running from his nose".
Jimenez sent a message in the team WhatsApp chat 24 hours after his surgery saying he was OK and being looked after. Two weeks after the operation, he visited the rest of the squad at the training ground. He was 29 years old at the time and had recently been linked with Manchester United and Barcelona before the injury.
Mexico Against South Africa
His World Cup appearance now carries the weight of that recovery. Jimenez is back as Mexico’s central striker, and he said, "It is a miracle to be here with you".
The Mexico and South Africa match was scheduled for the Mexico City Stadium with kick-off at 8pm UK time and 3pm ET. For Mexico, the story is not just that Jimenez returned, but that he returned in the role he held before the fracture: leading the line in a major tournament.
