Raul Jimenez reaches milestone at home World Cup after recovery from skull fracture

Five and a half years ago, Raul Jimenez was rushed into emergency surgery after a sickening collision left him with a fractured skull and a brain bleed. On a November night in 2020, during a Premier League match against Arsenal, the trajectory of his career, and possibly his life, changed in an instant.

Jimenez took the pitch for Mexico in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

The injury that nearly ended everything

On November 29, 2020, Jimenez clashed heads with Arsenal defender David Luiz during a Premier League fixture. He was stretchered off and immediately taken to the hospital, where doctors performed emergency surgery on his fractured skull. Medical staff described his recovery as nothing short of a miracle.

Nine months later, in August 2021, he returned to action with Wolverhampton Wanderers. He wore a protective headband, a visual reminder of what he’d been through.

After his time at Wolves, he moved to Fulham, where he continued to perform at a standard that kept him firmly in Mexico’s international plans, remaining in the Premier League week in and week out.

A career measured in caps, goals, and defied expectations

Jimenez has accumulated over 124 caps and 45 goals for Mexico heading into this tournament. This is a player who has participated in four World Cups: 2014, 2018, 2022, and now 2026. The 2022 tournament in Qatar came just two years after the skull fracture.

The 2026 edition carries additional weight as Mexico is hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1986, with matches being played at iconic venues including the Estadio Azteca.

What this means for Mexico and for football

Jimenez has been open about the difficulty of his recovery. The physical healing was one thing. The mental challenge of heading a ball again, of throwing himself into aerial duels, of trusting his body in the moments where instinct overrides caution, was another entirely. He has spoken about the protective headband he initially wore not just as a physical safeguard but as a psychological crutch during his transition back to competitive action.

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