2026 World Cup: Six years after life-threatening injury, Jiménez delivers unforgettable moment

The 35-year-o ak168app.baby ld striker found the net in the 67th minute as Mexico secured victory in front o ak168app.club f their home supporters, but the em ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.cl ak168app.club ub otions that followed told a mu ak168app.club ch bigger story than the result ak168app ak168app.cl ak168app.club ak168app.club ub .club ak1 ak168ap ak168app.club p.club 68app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak1 ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club 68app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club itself.

Jiménez burst into tears after scoring his first-ever World Cup goal, pointing towards the sky before being embrace ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club d by teammat ak168app.club ks1 ks168app.site ak168app.club 68app.site ak168app.club ak168app.club ks168app.site ks168app.site es.

The celebration w ak168app.club ak168app.club as dedicated to his father ak168app.club ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168a ks168app.site pp.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site , who had long dreamed of seeing his son sco ks168app.site ks168app.site re for Mexico on football’s biggest st ks168app.site age.

For African foot ks168app.site ball followers, t ks168app.site he moment came during a tou ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site rnament opener that also featured South ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ic88 ks168app.sit ks168app.site e Africa, but much ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ic88 ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site of the post-match attention ic88 centred on the rema ic88 rkable jo ic88 urney ic88 of the Mexican ic88 striker.
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Six years ago, Jiménez’s career appeared to ic88 ic88 be hanging by a thread.

In Novemb ic88 er 2 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 i ic88 ic88 c88 ic88 020, wh ic88 ile ic88 ic88 playing for Wolverhampt ic88 on Wanderers against ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 Arsenal, he suffered a horr ic88 ific skull fra ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 cture following a clash of heads with David Luiz.

The inj ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ury required emergency surgery and sparked fears not only ab ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 out his football future but also abo ic88 ic88 ut his survival.

Doctors described his rec ic88 overy as extraordinary. ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 After months away from the game, Jimé ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 nez gra lr88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 lr88 lr88 lr88 ic88 ic88 ic88 lr88 lr88 lr88 ic88 ic88 ic88 lr88 lr88 ic88 dually fought his way back onto the pitch, wearing protective headgear that wou lr88 ld become a permane lr88 lr88 ic88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 ic88 ic88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr8 lr88 8 lr88 lr88 lr88 ic88 nt part of his playing career.

lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 The road back was not straightforward.

A lr88 lthough he returned to professional lr88 lr88 lr88 football, he endured further injuries and periods of inconsistent form.
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His lr88 lr88 experience at the 2022 World Cup was particularly disappointing as Mexico failed to reach the knockout lr88 lr88 lr88 stages for lr88 the first time since 1978, with Jiménez unable to score.

Yet retirement never became an option.

A lr88 lr88 lr88 ccording to acco lr88 lr88 unts surrounding lr88 lr88 lr88 his recovery, there was a point when he lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 consi lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 op88 lr88 lr88 dered walking away from the game al lr88 together. His fa lr8 op88 8 ther, however, enco op88 op88 uraged him to continue, believing he would one day scor lr88 e for Mexico at a World Cup.

Trag op88 ically, that dream almost went unrealised.

Just two months before th op88 e 2026 tournament, Jiménez lost his father to cancer. The loss left the striker lr88 op88 devastated and uncertain about participating in the competition.
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His mother played a lr88 op88 lr88 op88 lr88 lr88 crucial role d op88 op88 op88 op88 op88 op88 lr8 op88 op88 op88 8 si88 op88 op88 op88 op88 op88 op88 op88 op88 l si88 r88 lr88 si88 si88 si88 uring that si88 si88 op88 op88 si88 difficult period, encouraging him to continue and supporting him through op88 op88 out the tournament.
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When si88 the opportunity finally arrived against South Af si88 op88 si88 rica, J si88 si88 iménez seized it.

si88 si88 si88 si88 si88 His powerful header doubled Mexico’s lead and helped secure v s si88 i88 ictory in the opening match of the tournament. More importa si88 si88 si88 si88 88v si88 si88 ntly, it delivered the si88 si88 si88 si88 si88 Wo 88v 88v 88v 88v rld Cup goal his fath 88v 88v er had always hoped to witness.

The emo 88v tional si88 re 88v 88v si88 88v 88v 88v 88v si88 action immediately 88v 88v after 88v 88v scoring reflected the significance of the moment. Yea 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v rs of physical pain, reha 88v bilitation, personal 88v loss and perseverance came together in a single instan 8 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v 8v t.

For Mexic 88v 88v o, the goal helped launch their World Cup campaign 88v SEXXXXX-VN 88v with three points. For Jiménez SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN , it marked the completion of one of football’s most inspiring comeback stories.

His journey from S SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN EXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN a life-threaten SEXXXXX-V SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN N ing injury to scoring on the biggest stage se SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN rves as a reminder of the resilience required to overcome adversity.

It also pro SEXXXXX-VN vided one of th SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN e most touching moments of the tou SEXX SEXXXXX-VN XXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN rnam SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN ent’ SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN s opening round.

Mubarak Haruna

Mubarak Haruna is an emerging force in African football journalism, recognised for his speed, accuracy and ability to break major stories. He specialises in breaking news, match coverage and multimedia storytelling across radio, television and digital platforms.He holds a degree in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and has developed his craft within some of Ghana’s leading media organisations. Mubarak has worked with the Multimedia Group, where he served as a sports radio and television presenter at Joy FM, while also contributing as a writer for Myjoyonline.com.Known for his sharp instincts and ability to deliver timely football stories, Mubarak has gained growing recognition for his impactful reporting and dedication to the profession.He is currently the Deputy Managing Editor of African.Football, where he plays a key role in driving editorial operations, breaking major stories and supporting the platform’s mission to deliver fast, reliable and high-quality African football content to a global audience.

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