Raúl Jiménez is resurrecting his career in front of our very eyes. What many thought as improbable or even impossible is happening: the Fulham striker is performing like his old self, back to the level that saw him become Wolverhampton Wanderers all-time leading scorer in the Premier League.
The 33-year-old striker has three goals through seven EPL games for Fulham this season, but his overall play is perhaps what's most encouraging about his performances. His back-heel assist against Manchester City is one of the highlights of the young season, a moment of magic that reminded us how talented and complete the Club América academy product truly is.
"Jiménez is back," Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said prior to the game and Jiménez confirmed it with a superb performance at the Etihad Stadium.
It's been almost four years since that fateful Nov. 29, 2020 day where Jiménez went up defending a corner only to collide in the air with then Arsenal defender David Luiz. The Mexican striker suffered a serious head injury that even put his life at risk, requiring emergency surgery to repair his fractured skull. Fortunately he recovered and returned to action nine months later; however, in the seasons that followed he was never able to return to his pre-injury form.
In the two seasons he played for Wolves after his injury he only managed six EPL goals, not even close to the 30 goals he scored in the league the two seasons before his injury. Fulham signed him in the summer of 2023 and he scored seven goals in his first EPL season with the club—not precisely a promising number for an aging center forward.
Many thought his days playing among the European elite were numbered; now, he's nominated for the September Premier League Player of the Month Award. Jiménez seems to have caught a second wind in his career and that hasn't gone unnoticed back in Mexico.
Raul Jimenez is Back With the Mexican National Team
Jimenez's performances made it impossible for Javier Aguirre to leave him out of El Tri's squad for the upcoming friendly matches against Valencia and the USMNT.
It's his first call up to the national team since November of last year where he played just over half an hour in the first leg of the CONCACAF Nations League semi-final against Honduras. The former main man in attack for Mexico failed to make the squad for last summer's Copa América. However, his return to form couldn't have come at a better time for Aguirre and Mexico.
One of the main issues Mexico's had in recent times is the lack of a striker capable of carrying the scoring duties. Aguirre started his third stint as El Tri's manager with two games last September where Santiago Giménez started both games up front and Henry Martín came off the bench twice. Giménez is out with an injury that will keep him sidelined until the end of the year. Martín also picked up a muscle injury and won't take part in the upcoming friendlies, leaving Aguirre in desperate need to find alternatives.
Jiménez has a golden opportunity in front of him. If he's able to translate his Fulham form to the national team, then he's undoubtedly Mexico's best option in the center forward role. A strong performance during the international break could firmly place him in the lead for the starting job up front for Mexico on the road to the 2026 World Cup—even if and when Giménez and Martín are back from injury.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Raul Jimenez's Return to Form & What It Means for the Mexican National Team.
