Why Raúl Jiménez wears a protective patch on his head at the 2026 World Cup

The Mexican national team is currently in the midst of a dream run through the World Cup on their home soil. The final goal is still a long way away but for Raul Jimenez being back on the pitch, representing his country is a dream in itself after almost being forced into an early retirement.

Collision left it’s mark on Jimenez

Back in November of 2020, Wolverhampton was playing Arsenal in a Premier League match at the Emirates. Wolves won a corner kick that changed the life of the Mexican striker forever. He clashed heads with then Arsenal defender David Luiz and immediately lost consciousness.

Players from both teams signaled for the medical staff realizing the severity of the injury as he lied motionless on the pitch. He was rushed to the hosptial where he was diagnosed with a fractured skull. His career was put in jeopardy, but so was his life.

Once at the hospital he underwent emergency surgery which might have saved his life, but after that his long road to recovery started. It took eight months for him to return to the pitch but even longer to recover his confidence on the pitch.

A triumphant return

Coming back from any injury takes time to recover from physically and mentally but coming back from a head injury is a whole different beast. He is a striker. A big part of the job is heading the ball. Whether it’s a cross into the box or a header on a ball from the back, number 9s have to be able to use their head.

He came back from the injury in the 2021 season and played 34 games, but scored just six goals that year. He would make Mexico’s World Cup squad in 2022, but was suffering from a groin injury and didn’t score for Mexico in the last World Cup. There were suspicions that maybe his best days were behind him and that he’d never return to being the player he was before the injury.

That´s what made his first World Cup goal so special. He scored the 2-0 goal in Mexico’s World Cup opener against South Africa on his home soil and he did it with his head. It was an emotional moment for a player who had gone through so much to get back to the player he was and to get back to the World Cup after all the doubt.

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