Jímenez, Mexico's goal scorer, almost died after clashing with David Luiz

Forward Raúl Jímenez scored one of Mexico's goals in the opening of the 2026 World Cup, in a match against South Africa.

In his fourth World Cup, the Mexican idol finally managed to find the net in the competition and was emotional after scoring at the Azteca Stadium.

Raul Jimenez scores the second for Mexico - Carl Recine/Getty Images

However, to fulfill his dream of defending his nation in the World Cup, Raúl Jímenez had to overcome a serious injury.

In 2020, when he was playing for Wolverhampton-ING, the Mexican striker fractured his skull after a head-on collision with Brazilian defender David Luiz, who at the time was playing for Arsenal.

Jímenez was unconscious on the field and had to be immobilized to get off the pitch. The player underwent surgery to correct the injury.

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In August 2021, after being sidelined for eight months, Raúl Jímenez revealed that the doctors who performed his surgery considered the player's survival a "miracle"

"From the first moment, the surgeons and doctors told me what happened and the risks. Sometimes it's not what you want to hear, but it's their job. They told me it was a miracle that I survived. The bone had broken and there was a small bleed inside my brain. That's why the surgery had to be quick and it was a very good job by the doctors," the Mexican striker said in an interview with Reuters.

After the serious injury, Jímenez always wore protection on the right side of his head, to protect the area.

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Source: CNN