Premier League star points to better numbers than Messi and Ronaldo

Raúl Jiménez is not short on self-belief – and when it comes to penalties, he believes the statistics are on his side. In a lighthearted segment with Fox Sports, the striker from Tepeji del Río said he considers himself a more effective spot-kick taker than global stars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane.

The Fulham forward was asked to choose between two players at a time based on who he thought executed penalties better. After making his pick, the reporter would introduce another name, giving him the chance to stick or switch. The game began with figures such as Andrea Pirlo and Zinedine Zidane – until his own name came up.

Without hesitation, the former Club América player chose himself. “You should have left that one for last – it’s not going to change,” he said.

The dynamic continued. Even as Fox Sports reporter Juanjo Rueda put forward names including Harry Kane, Javier Hernández, Rogério Ceni, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Mexican international refused to back down. “Like it or not, I have a better conversion percentage. I don’t know if I’m the best in the world, but it’s something that defines me, so I’ll stick with myself,” he added.

And strictly in terms of efficiency, his argument carries weight. During his time in the Premier League, Jiménez has not missed a single penalty, converting 13 out of 13 attempts and establishing himself as one of the most reliable takers in the competition. Across his entire career, he has taken 46 penalties and missed just twice – one saved by Fernando Muslera in a 2018 friendly between Mexico and Uruguay, and another denied by Yassine Bounou in a Europa League game against Sevilla.

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