Mexico star Raul Jimenez could not hold back the tears after scoring his first ever World Cup goal, almost six years on from suffering a life-threatening head injury.
The 35-year-old, who was wearing a special protective headband during the World Cup’s opening match between Mexico and South Africa, was overcome with emotion in the second half when he headed Mexico into a 2-0 lead inside the Azteca Stadium.
It was a hugely momentous moment for Jimenez given he was unsure if he would ever be able to play again after a sickening injury sustained on the pitch in November 2020.
On November 29, 2020, Jimenez clashed heads in a match against Arsenal and was knocked unconscious, fracturing his skull.
It took him eight months to recover and he has, bit by bit, rebuilt his career to the point where he could be Mexico’s talismanic striker at a home World Cup.
Raul Jimenez could not contain his emotions after he scored his first ever World Cup goal
Jimenez pointed to the sky and it evoked memories of his life-threatening head injury in 2020
Speaking back in 2021, his partner Daniela Basso admitted she was just praying he would ‘wake up’.
‘It’s difficult to see your partner lifeless,’ Basso recalled in a film about Jimenez.
‘I remember I closed my eyes and I just said “please wake up, just move a little bit, just to know you’re alive”.’
Emotions took on a different look on Thursday night inside the Azteca as Jimenez ran off to celebrate his first ever World Cup goal with tears in his eyes.
