Raúl Alonso Jiménez Rodríguez (; born 5 May 1991) is a Mexican professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who plays as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
for club
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
and the
Mexico national team
The Mexico national football team () represents Mexico in international football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation (). It competes as a member of CONCACAF.
Mexico has qualified to seventeen World Cups and has qualified conse ...
.
Jiménez began his career in
Club América
Club de Fútbol América S.A. de C.V., commonly known as Club América or simply América, is a professional football club based in Mexico City. Nicknamed ''Las Águilas'' (The Eagles), it competes in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football ...
's
youth system
In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if t ...
before debuting in the
first division in October 2011. He won his first championship with América in 2013, winning the
Clausura
The ' and ' tournaments is a split season format for Spanish-speaking sports leagues. It is a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional association football season from August to May is div ...
tournament, and was the team's second-highest goalscorer. In August 2014, Jiménez joined Spanish side
Atlético Madrid
Club Atlético de Madrid, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish profess ...
. After one season, he signed for
Benfica, with whom he won two consecutive
league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
Sports
* Sports league
* Rugby league, full contact footba ...
titles, among other major honours. He amassed 120 appearances and scored 31 goals during his three years with the Portuguese side. In June 2018, Jiménez joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan, and was the team's top-scorer with 17 goals across all competitions. He joined Wolves on a permanent basis the following year, and became an instrumental and prolific striker, though spent nine months out with a serious head injury between November 2020 and August 2021.
Jiménez was a part of the
Mexico under-23 squad that won the gold medal at the
Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...
in
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
. A full international since 2013, Jiménez has represented his country at the
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
and
2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international association football, football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022 ...
, the
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
and
2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 15th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the biennial international men's soccer championship of the North, Central American, and Caribbean region organized by CONCACAF. The tournament was primarily hosted in th ...
, the
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
and
2017 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup was the 10th and final edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup, a quadrennial international men's football tournament organised by FIFA. It was held in Russia, from 17 June to 2 July 2017, as a prelude to the 20 ...
, the
2015 Copa América, and the
Copa América Centenario
The Copa América Centenario ( pt, Copa América Centenário, french: Coupe Amerique Centennaire, en, Centennial Cup America; literally ''Centennial America Cup'') was an international men's association football tournament that was hosted by the ...
.
Club career
América
2011–12 season
Jiménez began his career playing for
Club América
Club de Fútbol América S.A. de C.V., commonly known as Club América or simply América, is a professional football club based in Mexico City. Nicknamed ''Las Águilas'' (The Eagles), it competes in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football ...
's
youth system
In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if t ...
, being considered a promising young striker. On 9 October 2011, under interim-coach
Alfredo Tena
Alfredo Tena Garduño (born 21 November 1956), also known by his nickname ''Capitán Furia'' ("Captain Fury"), is a Mexican former professional footballer and the current youth academy director for Club América. A defender who mainly played a ...
, Jiménez made his professional debut during the
Apertura
The ' and ' tournaments is a split season format for Spanish-speaking sports leagues. It is a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional association football season from August to May is div ...
tournament against
Monarcas Morelia, in a match which ended in a 1–1 draw. He scored his first goal on 30 October in a 2–3 loss to
Puebla
Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...
, scoring in the 2nd minute of the match. He appeared six times and scored one goal in his debut tournament.
Jiménez did not appear in the
Clausura 2012 until 11 February—week seven of the tournament—against
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth.
Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geographic ...
, which ended in a 1–1 draw, coming on as a second-half substitute for
Christian Bermúdez
Christian de Jesús Bermúdez Gutiérrez (born 26 April 1987), also known as El Hobbit, is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a midfielder.
Club career
Bermúdez has had a previous stint with Atlante from 2006 to 20011. He can pla ...
. He scored his first goal of the tournament on 9 March in the 1–1 draw against
Tijuana
Tijuana ( ,["Tijuana"](_blank)
(US) and [< ...]
at the
Estadio Caliente
The Estadio Caliente Xoloitzcuintles is a multi-use stadium in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, that is mostly used for football matches.
The stadium hosts home matches for the football club Club Tijuana, who play in Liga MX, Mexico's top leag ...
. Jiménez appeared twelve times and scored once during the Clausura, with América being eliminated in the semi-finals by
Monterrey
Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...
.
2012–13 season
After participating in the
Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...
with
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
and the sale of
Vicente Matías Vuoso
Vicente José Matías Vuoso (born 3 November 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. Born in Argentina, he represented the Mexico national team.
Born in Mar del Plata, Vuoso began his career at Independiente in 2 ...
, Jiménez won a spot in América's starting eleven for the
Apertura 2012 tournament, playing as a second-striker alongside
Christian Benítez
Christian Rogelio Benítez Betancourt (1 May 1986 – 29 July 2013), also known as Chucho, was an Ecuadorian professional footballer who played as a striker.
He began his career with El Nacional in Ecuador and then joined Santos Laguna, with ...
in manager
Miguel Herrera
Miguel Ernesto Herrera Aguirre (born 18 March 1968), popularly referred to by his nickname "Piojo" (Spanish for "louse"), is a Mexican former professional footballer and current manager. He is the head coach of Liga MX club Tijuana.
A former ...
's 5–3–2 tactical scheme. He was also given the vacant number 9 shirt, switching from the number 47 shirt he debuted with. Jiménez scored on 15 September in the 2–0 victory over
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V. (), commonly known as Santos Laguna or Santos, is a Mexican professional football club that competes in the Liga MX. It is located in northern Mexico and represents the urban area of La Comarca Lagunera, made up o ...
at the
Estadio Azteca
Estadio Azteca () is a multi-purpose stadium located in Mexico City. It is the official home of football clubs Club América and Cruz Azul as well as the Mexico national football team. The stadium sits at an altitude of above sea level. Wit ...
. He would go on to score two weeks later in the 1–1 draw against Monarcas Morelia. Jiménez received his first red card during América's 2–1 victory over
San Luis, meaning he would miss ''
El Súper Clásico'' against
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...
. On 3 November, he scored the second goal in the 4–0 win over
Pachuca
Pachuca (; ote, Nju̱nthe), formally known as Pachuca de Soto, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is located in the south-central part of the state. Pachuca de Soto is also the name of the municipality of whi ...
. On 17 November, Jiménez scored in the 1–2 defeat to Morelia in the second-leg of the quarter-final. Despite the loss, América won the series by a 3–2 aggregate score and advanced to the semi-finals. América would ultimately be eliminated in the semi-finals by
Toluca
Toluca , officially Toluca de Lerdo , is the States of Mexico, state capital of the State of Mexico as well as the seat of the Municipality of Toluca. With a population of 910,608 as of the 2020 census, Toluca is the fifth most populous city in M ...
. Jimenéz ended the tournament with sixteen appearances and scoring four goals.
Jiménez began the
Clausura 2013 tournament as a starter in the first two league matches, and scored his first
brace
Brace(s) or bracing may refer to:
Medical
* Orthopaedic brace, a device used to restrict or assist body movement
** Back brace, a device limiting motion of the spine
*** Milwaukee brace, a kind of back brace used in the treatment of spinal cur ...
in the 4–0 victory over
Atlante on 19 January. He bagged another brace on 2 February in América's 3–0 win against
Querétaro
Querétaro (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Querétaro ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro, links=no; Otomi language, Otomi: ''Hyodi Ndämxei''), is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. I ...
. On 31 March, Jiménez scored two headers in the 2–0 victory over Guadalajara at the
Estadio Omnilife
The Estadio Akron, formerly known as the Estadio Omnilife and Estadio Chivas (''Estadio Chivas'', ), is a multipurpose stadium that is used mostly for football matches. It is the home of Liga MX side C.D. Guadalajara. It is part of the JVC comp ...
. Jimenéz finished the regular phase of the tournament with eight goals, and scored in América's 1–0 away win over
Pumas UNAM
Club Universidad Nacional, A.C., commonly referred to as UNAM, is a professional football club based in Ciudad Universitaria of Mexico City, Mexico. The club competes in the Liga MX, the top division in the Mexican football league system. Fo ...
in the first-leg of the quarter-final series of the playoffs on 8 May. In the second-leg of the semi-final series against Monterrey, Jimenéz scored from a
penalty
Penalty or The Penalty may refer to:
Sports
* Penalty (golf)
* Penalty (gridiron football)
* Penalty (ice hockey)
* Penalty (rugby)
* Penalty (rugby union)
* Penalty kick (association football)
* Penalty shoot-out (association football)
A p ...
and assisted Christian Benitez in the second goal to win the match 2–1 (4–3 on aggregate), sending América to the
Final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
against
Cruz Azul
Club de Futbol Cruz Azul or simply Cruz Azul () is a professional football club based in Mexico City, Mexico. It competes in the Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Because "azul" means "blue" in Spanish, the club has traditionally ...
. Jiménez played in both legs and scored in the subsequent penalty shoot-out which América ultimately won, thus being crowned league champions.
2013–14 season
On 3 August 2013, Jiménez scored his first goal of the
Apertura
The ' and ' tournaments is a split season format for Spanish-speaking sports leagues. It is a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional association football season from August to May is div ...
tournament in the 3–0 win over Atlas. He would go on to score in each of the next three matches in wins over
Atlante, Pachuca, and Morelia, respectively, taking his goal tally to four goals in five matches played. He would score again on 13 September in América's 1–2 defeat to Santos Laguna. On 5 October, Jiménez scored a header and assisted in
Luis Gabriel Rey
Luis Gabriel Rey Villamizar (February 20, 1980) is a Colombian former professional footballer who last played for Liga MX club Monarcas Morelia on loan from Club América.
A classical left-footed striker, Rey arrived to Mexico in 2001 and h ...
's goal in the 2–0 victory over Guadalajara. Jiménez ended the regular-phase of the Apertura with seven goals in twelve games played. He scored in the second-leg of the quarter-finals against
Tigres UANL
Club de Fútbol Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, simply known as Tigres UANL or Tigres, is a Mexican professional football club based in San Nicolás de los Garza, a city in the Monterrey metropolitan area, Nuevo León. Foun ...
which ended in a 1–1 draw at the Estadio Azteca on 1 December, with América advancing, despite a 2–2 aggregate score, due to the away-goals rule. América would win the semi-final matches against Toluca and advance once again to the league final, though failing to achieve the repeat after losing both legs to
León.
The
Clausura 2014 tournament saw Jiménez make 17 appearances and score 8 goals. In the quarter-final match against
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V. (), commonly known as Santos Laguna or Santos, is a Mexican professional football club that competes in the Liga MX. It is located in northern Mexico and represents the urban area of La Comarca Lagunera, made up o ...
on 30 April, Jiménez scored a hat-trick in the 5–3 win. However, América would lose the second-leg of the series 1–3 and being eliminated from the playoffs, despite a 6–6 aggregate score due to the away-goals rule.
2014–15 season
Jiménez began the
Apertura 2014 tournament scoring four goals in the first three games. On 26 July, he scored the first goal in América's 2–1 win over Tijuana. On 4 August, he scored a hat-trick and assisted
Oribe Peralta
Oribe Peralta Morones (born 12 January 1984) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is an Olympic gold medalist.
Peralta began his professional career with Morelia in 2003. He later played for León and Monte ...
in the 4–0 win against
Puebla
Puebla ( en, colony, settlement), officially Free and Sovereign State of Puebla ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its cap ...
. Jiménez played his final game for América on 9 August 2014 against Tigres UANL, providing the assist for the second goal scored by
Miguel Layún
Miguel Arturo Layún Prado (born 25 June 1988) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Liga MX club América.
Layún began his career in 2006 with Veracruz, and in 2009 signed for Italian club Atalanta, becoming the ...
in the 2–0 win.
Atlético Madrid
![Raúl Jiménez DEP-ATM 045 1200 (Raúl)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Ra%C3%BAl_Jim%C3%A9nez_DEP-ATM_045_1200_%28Ra%C3%BAl%29.jpg)
On 13 August 2014,
Atlético Madrid
Club Atlético de Madrid, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish profess ...
reached an agreement with Club América for Jiménez, for a fee reported to be in the region of €11 million. The following day, he signed a six-year deal after passing the medical examination. Jiménez made his debut on 16 August, in the final of the
Ramón de Carranza Trophy
The Ramón de Carranza Trophy ( es, Trofeo Ramón de Carranza) is a pre-season football tournament organised by Cádiz City Hall, in memory of its former mayor, Ramón de Carranza – after whom the Cádiz F.C. stadium used to be named as well ...
pre-season tournament against
Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa.
The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, ...
, starting the match and being substituted out in the 79th minute. Atlético won 2–0.
Jiménez made his competitive debut in the first leg of the
Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España or the ''Spanish Super Cup'' is a super cup tournament in Spanish football. Founded in 1982 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2019–20 by four teams: the winners and runners-up of ...
on 19 August, a 1–1 draw against
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
, playing the final 12 minutes in place of fellow debutant
Mario Mandžukić
Mario Mandžukić (; born 21 May 1986) is a Croatian football coach and a former player who is an assistant coach of the Croatia national team. As a player, he played as a forward and became known for his aggressiveness, defensive contribution ...
. Jiménez played in the second leg as well coming in as a substitute for
Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann (; born 21 March 1991) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the France national team. A versatile player, Griezmann is known for his attacking, passing, and supportiv ...
in the 73rd minute of the match, the game ended in a 1–0 win and an aggregated score of 2–1.
Jiménez made his
La Liga
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, commonly known simply as Primera División in Spain, and as La Liga in English-speaking countries and officially as LaLiga Santander for sponsorship reasons, stylized as LaLiga, is the men's ...
debut on 25 August 2014, in a goalless draw against
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. (), often abbreviated to Rayo (Spanish for "thunderbolt"), is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas. Rayo was founded on 29 May 1924, and currently compete in La Lig ...
. He scored his first league goal for Atlético on 27 September, in a 4–0 win against
Sevilla
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Gua ...
, coming off the bench. It was his only goal for Atlético that season.
Benfica
On 9 August 2015 Jiménez, who was expected to complete a loan deal to
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
side
West Ham
West Ham is an area in East London, located east of Charing Cross in the west of the modern London Borough of Newham.
The area, which lies immediately to the north of the River Thames and east of the River Lea, was originally an ancien ...
, failed to show up to his medical after reports claimed he had missed his flight to
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
after he had overslept.
However, multiple sources had reported his agent
Jorge Mendes
Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes (born 7 January 1966) is a Portuguese football agent. He is registered with the Portuguese Football Federation and heads the GestiFute company, founded in 1996. Mendes is among the most influential football agents i ...
had suggested he spurn the move, in favour of a move to
Primeira Liga
The Primeira Liga (; English: Premier League, also written as Liga Portugal 1), also known as Liga Portugal Bwin for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga Portugal, ...
side
Benfica.
On 13 August 2015, Jiménez joined Portuguese champions Benfica, signing a five-year deal. Benfica spent €9.836 million to bring Jiménez to the club, although this included unspecified amounts on agent's fees and signing-on fees in addition to the transfer fee itself.
The €9.836 million may have included a €1 million transfer fee, and €3 million to acquire 50% of the player's economic rights.
2015–16 season
![Zen-benf16 (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Zen-benf16_%281%29.jpg)
Jiménez scored his first goal for Benfica on 29 August against
Moreirense
Moreirense Futebol Clube is a Portuguese professional football club based in Moreira de Cónegos, Guimarães Municipality, in Minho. Founded on 1 November 1938, it plays in the Liga Portugal 2, holding home games at Parque de Jogos Comendador Joa ...
, scoring a header in the 75th minute to level the score 1–1, with Benfica eventually winning the match 3–2.
On 26 November, Jiménez scored his first two goals in the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
, striking at both ends in each half as Benfica salvaged a 2–2 away draw against
Astana
Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.
The city lies on the banks of the Ishim (river), Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmo ...
. On 9 March 2016, he helped Benfica to reach the
quarter-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
of the Champions League in a 2–1 away victory against
Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit (russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб «Зенит» ), also known as Zenit Saint Petersburg or simply Zenit, is a Russian professional football club based in Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1925 (or in 1914, acco ...
. In the 85th minute of the match, Jimenéz struck a long-range shot which was saved by
Yuri Lodygin
Yuri Vladimirovich Lodygin (russian: Юрий Владимирович Лодыгин, el, Γιούρι Λοντίγκιν; born 26 May 1990) is a Russian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Super League club Panathinaikos. A ...
onto the bar, with the ball rebounding to
Nicolás Gaitán
Osvaldo Fabián Nicolás "Nico" Gaitán (; born 23 February 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Portuguese Primeira Liga club Paços de Ferreira.
A product of Boca Juniors, he joined Benfic ...
who tied the match 1–1. On 9 April, he came off the bench and scored the winning goal in the 2–1 victory against
Académica, securing Benfica's lead in the
Primeira Liga
The Primeira Liga (; English: Premier League, also written as Liga Portugal 1), also known as Liga Portugal Bwin for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga Portugal, ...
. Four days later, due to the suspension of
Jonas
Jonas may refer to:
Geography
* Jonas, Netherlands, Netherlands
* Jonas, Pennsylvania, United States
* Jonas Ridge, North Carolina, United States
People with the name
* Jonas (name), people with the given name or surname Jonas
* Jonas, one of ...
in the first leg, Jiménez started the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final match against
Bayern Munich, scoring the first goal in the 2–2 draw at the
Estádio da Luz
The Estádio da Luz (), officially named Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lisbon, Portugal. It is used mostly for association football matches, hosting the home games of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica, its ...
; a 3–2 defeat on aggregate meant Benfica were eliminated from the competition.
On 24 April, he scored another winner in the league, this time scoring the lone goal against
Rio Ave
Rio Ave Futebol Clube, commonly known as Rio Ave (), is a Football in Portugal, Portuguese professional Association football, football club based in Vila do Conde, that competes in the Primeira Liga. The club is named after the Ave River, which ...
, extending Benfica's lead in the league. On 15 May, Jiménez came on as a second-half substitute as Benfica were crowned league champions after defeating
Nacional
Nacional, the Portuguese and Spanish word for "national", may refer to:
Airlines
* Nacional Transportes Aéreos, a Brazilian airline defunct in 2002
* Transportes Aéreos Nacional, a Brazilian airline defunct in 1961
Bank
* Banco Nacional, a ...
4–1. Five days later, he capped off the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
scoring from the penalty spot in the 6–2 win over
Marítimo in the
Taça da Liga final, where he also finished as the competition's top goalscorer with four goals.
2016–17 season
On 21 July 2016, it was announced that Benfica had purchased the remaining 50% of Jiménez's economic rights for €12 million. It was widely reported that this had brought the total value of his transfer to around €22 million, making Jiménez the most expensive player in Portuguese football history (this remains unsubstantiated, since the €9.836 million spent by Benfica in 2015 included various costs besides the transfer fee)
and the most expensive Mexican player. In that season, he played in the
Taça de Portugal final, which Benfica won over
Vitória de Guimarães
Vitoria or Vitória may refer to :
People
* Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian
* Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer
* Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer
* Steven Vitória ...
(2–1).
2017–18 season
Jiménez came off the bench to score Benfica's final goal in their
3–1 Super Cup win over Vitória de Guimarães. On 17 December, Jiménez made his 100th appearance for Benfica in all competitions following an away 5–1 win over
Tondela
Tondela () is a municipality in the central Portuguese subregion of Dão-Lafões. The population in 2011 was 28,946, in an area of 371.22 km².
History
Local writer and intellectual Amadeu Ferraz de Carvalho (1876–1951) wrote of the mun ...
.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
2018–19 season as loan
On 12 June 2018, Benfica loaned out Jiménez to newly promoted
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
side
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
on a season-long loan for a fee of €3 million, with a buyout clause of €38 million. On 29 June, it was reported that he had extended his contract with Benfica until June 2021 before being loaned out.
Jiménez made his unofficial debut with the team on 22 July in a semifinal match against
VfL Bochum
Verein für Leibesübungen Bochum 1848 Fußballgemeinschaft, commonly referred to as simply VfL Bochum (), is a Football in Germany, German association football club based in the city of Bochum, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club has spent 35 seas ...
in the H-Hotels Cup, where he failed to convert a penalty, the first following his perfect conversion rate. On 11 August, Jiménez marked his competitive debut for Wolves by scoring the equalizing goal that earned the home team a 2–2 draw with visiting
Everton on the opening weekend of the Premier League
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
. On 16 September, Jiménez scored the only goal in the victory over
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2001 population of 73,021. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Bru ...
. On 22 September, he provided an assist to
João Moutinho
João Filipe Iria Santos Moutinho (; born 8 September 1986) is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Portugal national team.
Moutinho began his professional career ...
to tie the match 1–1 against
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
in the league. On 29 September, he provided an assist to
Ivan Cavaleiro to score the first goal in a 2–0 victory over
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
. On 6 October, Jiménez provided the assist for
Matt Doherty's goal in his team's 1–0 away victory over
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
; it was his third assist of the season, meaning Jiménez was involved in a goal in each of the previous four league games for Wolves, assisting in the past three after scoring in the game prior to that. On 11 November, he provided the assist to Ivan Cavaleiro in the 1–1 draw against
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, taking his season assist tally to four. Jiménez scored Wolves' first goal in a 2–1 win against
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
at
Molineux on 5 December. Jiménez scored the first goal in Wolves's 2–0 win over
Bournemouth
Bournemouth () is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area of Dorset, England. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 183,491, making it the largest town in Dorset. It is situated on the Southern ...
on 15 December. This was the first time Wolves had won three consecutive Premier League games and the first time Wolves had won three in a row in the top flight of English football since 1980.
On 10 March 2019, with his goal for Wolves in their 1–1 draw against Chelsea, Jiménez tied
Steven Fletcher as the Wolves player with the most Premier League goals scored in a single season with twelve. Six days later, Jiménez scored the first goal for Wolverhampton in a 2–1 home victory over Manchester United to advance to the semi-final of the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
; it was his third goal in the cup, and fifteenth of the season in all competitions.
On 4 April, it was announced that Wolves had exercised their €38 million option to sign Jiménez on a four-year contract, with the loan move becoming permanent on 1 July. The signing was for a reported club-record £30 million, surpassing
Adama Traoré's £18 million transfer. Three days later, he scored his team’s second goal in the FA Cup semi-final against
Watford
Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne.
Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
, celebrating by putting on a
Sin Cara
In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, ...
wrestling mask; Wolves eventually lost the match 3-2. Jiménez was labelled disrespectful by former Watford player
Luther Blissett
Luther Loide Blissett (born 1 February 1958) is a former professional footballer and manager who played for the England national team during the 1980s. Born in Jamaica, Blissett played as a striker, and is best known for his time at Watford, ...
.
He scored his 13th Premier League goal on 27 April, heading in a
Diogo Jota
Diogo José Teixeira da Silva (born 4 December 1996), known as Diogo Jota (), is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward or a winger for Premier League club Liverpool and the Portugal national team.
Jota started his car ...
cross from close range to open the scoring in the 2–1 away win against
Watford
Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne.
Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
, becoming the Wolves player with the most goals scored in a single Premier League season. Jiménez scored 17 goals across all competitions, and capped off his season by being voted the Wolves Players' Player of the Season on 15 May.
2019–20 season
On 9 July 2019,
Nuno Espírito Santo
Nuno Herlander Simões Espírito Santo (born 25 January 1974), often referred to as simply Nuno, is a Portuguese football manager and former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the manager of Saudi Professional League club Al- ...
excused Jiménez from attending the team's pre-season tour in China and as well as possibly the club's Europa League debut in order to rest after the summer activity he had with the Mexico national team. On 1 August, he scored his 50th and 51st goals in Europe after netting a brace against
Crusaders
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
in the second qualifying round of the
2019–20 UEFA Europa League. In the third qualifying round, Jiménez scored another brace to help Wolves to a 4–0 first-leg win over Armenian side
FC Pyunik. He scored his first Premier League goal of the season on 25 August in the 1–1 draw against Burnley, converting from the penalty spot at the 97th minute. On 2 November, he would score his team's equalizer at the 76th minute in a 1–1 result against Arsenal. On 28 November, he would score a goal and provided two assists in a 3–3 result against Portuguese club
Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...
. As a result of his November performances, Jiménez was voted PFA Player of the Month.
On 27 December, Jiménez, in scoring Wolves' second goal in their 3–2 home win over
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
, scored his eighth goal in the Premier League and 17th across all competitions, equaling his total from the previous season. On 18 January, he would score a brace in a 3–2 victory over
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
to become Wolves' all-time top scorer in the Premier League. On 20 June, Jiménez broke his own record, set the previous season, for the most goals by a Wolves player in a single Premier League season after scoring a header in the 2–0 away victory over
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
. He ended the season with 27 goals in total and was part of the team as they reached the quarter-finals of the
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
, but missed a penalty in their elimination to eventual winners
Sevilla
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Gua ...
. Despite this, he was voted Wolves' player of the season by both the fans and his teammates.
2020–21 season
On 14 September, Jiménez made his 100th appearance for Wolves in their first league game of the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
, marking the occasion by scoring in the third minute of the match against
Sheffield United
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
. He was named Man of the Match by
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC, providing national sports coverage for BBC television, radio and online. The BBC holds the television and radio UK broadcasting rights to several sports, broadcasting the sport live or alongside flag ...
for his performance in the team's 2–0 win. On 3 October, it was announced that Jiménez had signed a four-year contract extension with Wolves, thus effectively ending rumors of a transfer.
On 29 November, five minutes into Wolves' Premier League fixture against
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
at the
Emirates Stadium, Jiménez was knocked unconscious after a clash of heads with
David Luiz
David Luiz Moreira Marinho (born 22 April 1987) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Flamengo. Primarily a centre back, he can also be deployed as a defensive midfielder.
After starting out at Vitoria, David Luiz moved to B ...
. Although Luiz continued to play on for the rest of the first half with minor injuries, Jiménez had to be stretchered off and was immediately taken to a hospital for severe trauma, where he was eventually deemed conscious. It was confirmed the following morning that he had fractured his skull in the clash with Luiz and had required surgery soon after hospitalisation, effectively ending his season.
2021–22 season
Jiménez returned to playing for Wolves in pre-season for the first time since his head injury, but it was announced that he would have to wear a head guard for the rest of his career. Jiménez scored for the first time since his career-threatening injury in his sixth Premier League appearance of the
2021–22 season, a 1–0 victory away to Southampton on 26 September. Jiménez's second goal of the season, scored in a 2–1 win over Everton at Molineux on 1 November, was also his fiftieth for the club in all competitions (as well as his fifth goal against Everton in five appearances).
Jiménez received his first red card of his career with Wolves after collecting two yellow cards in less than a minute during the first-half of a 1–0 defeat to Manchester City at the
Etihad Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England, also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the home of Premier League club Manchester City F.C., with a domestic football capacity of 53,400, making it the 6th-largest ...
on 11 December, resulting in a one-match suspension. He scored his fifth Premier League goal, and his first club goal of 2022, in Wolverhampton's 2–0 win at
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
on 13 February. He received the second red card of his Wolves career after receiving two yellow cards in a 3-2 defeat at home to
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
on 18 March 2022.
2022–23 season
Jiménez made his debut appearance for Wolves in the
2022–23 Premier League
The 2022–23 Premier League will be the 31st season of the Premier League, and the 124th season of top-flight English football overall. The provisional fixtures are scheduled to be released on Wednesday 15 June 2022. As of the 2022–23 season, c ...
, as a second-half substitute, in a 1–0 away defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at the
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the home of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in north London, replacing the club's previous ground, White Hart Lane. With a seating capacity of 62,850, it is the third-largest football stadium in England and the ...
on 20 August 2022. He was returning from a number of weeks sidelined with injuries to his knee and groin picked up in a pre-season match, injuries which had kept him out of Wolves's first two games of the Premier League season.
Jiménez's first start for Wolves in the 2022–23 season came in a 2–1 victory over
Preston North End at Molineux in the
EFL Cup
The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
on 23 August 2022, in which he scored Wolves's first in the ninth minute.
International career
Under-23
2012 Toulon Tournament
In 2012, Jiménez was selected by coach
Luis Fernando Tena
Luis Fernando Tena Garduño (born 20 January 1958) is a Mexican professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of the Guatemala national team.
Coaching career
After retiring as a player, Tena began his coaching career i ...
to participate in
that year's Toulon Tournament
The Toulon Tournament (officially the Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello) is a football (training match) tournament, which traditionally features invited national teams composed of youth players from U-17 to U-23 level. ...
with the
under-23 squad. Jiménez managed to score Mexico's third goal in the 4–2 victory over the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in the semi-finals on 30 May. Mexico would subsequently win the final, defeating
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
3–0, with Jiménez earning a starting berth and playing 65 minutes.
2012 Summer Olympics
Jiménez made the final cut in the squad participating in the
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. He made his Olympic debut in the group stage match against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
on 26 July, which ended in a 0–0 draw, with Jiménez coming in as a substitute and coming close to scoring a late goal, with the ball ricocheting off the goalkeeper's left-hand post. He subsequently made appearances against
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
,
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, and
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
in the final, coming on as a substitute in those matches. Mexico would go on to defeat Brazil 2–1 and win the gold medal.
Senior
Jiménez made his debut for the
senior national team in a 1–1 draw against
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
on 30 January 2013, coming on as a second-half substitute.
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
On 20 May 2013, Jiménez was named in the 23-man squad participating in the
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup was the ninth FIFA Confederations Cup, which was held in Brazil from 15 to 30 June 2013 as a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The most recent winners of the six continental championships appeared in the tourna ...
held in Brazil, and featured in all three group games for a combined 96 minutes. On 22 June, he was named in the starting eleven for the third match against
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, being substituted off in the 90th minute for
Javier Aquino
Javier Ignacio Aquino Carmona (, born 11 February 1990) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a full-back for Liga MX club Tigres UANL. He is an Olympic gold medalist.
Aquino made his debut with Cruz Azul in 2010, playing in over ...
in Mexico's 2–0 victory.
2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
On 26 June 2013, it was announced that Jiménez was included in Mexico's 23-man squad for the
2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, replacing midfielder
David Cabrera due to injury. He was a starter and played in every group stage match, managing to score against
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in Mexico's 2–0 win on 11 July. On 20 July, Jiménez scored the only goal in the quarterfinal victory over
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
. Mexico would be eliminated by
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
in the semifinal.
2014 FIFA World Cup
During the World Cup qualifier match against
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
on 11 October 2013, in which Mexico needed a victory to not complicate the qualification process, Jiménez would go on to score a
bicycle kick
In association football, a bicycle kick, also known as an overhead kick, scissors kick, is an acrobatic strike where a player kicks an airborne ball rearward in midair. It is achieved by throwing the body backward up into the air and, before d ...
goal that led to Mexico's 2–1 victory; the goal would go on to win the 2013 edition of
CONCACAF Goal of the Year. On 5 June 2014, Jiménez was confirmed in coach Miguel Herrera's final 23-man team participating in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He did not appear in Mexico's opener against
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
. On 17 June, Jiménez made his World Cup debut against host nation
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, entering as a substitute for
Giovani dos Santos
Giovani dos Santos Ramírez ( ; born 11 May 1989) is a Mexican professional footballer. A versatile forward, dos Santos can play as an attacking midfielder, winger, and secondary striker. He is an Olympic gold medalist.
Dos Santos began hi ...
in the 84th minute.
2015 Copa América
In Mexico's second game of the
2015 Copa América tournament against hosts
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, Jiménez headed from a corner to give Mexico the 2–1 lead in an eventual 3–3 draw at the
Estadio Nacional. In their next match against
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
on 19 June, he scored from the penalty spot after
Gabriel Achilier
Gabriel Eduardo Achilier Zurita (; born March 24, 1985) is an Ecuadorian footballer who plays for Orense S.C. in the Liga PRO Ecuador as a centre-back.
Club career
Born in Machala, Achilier began his professional career in Liga Deportiva Un ...
brought down
Hugo Ayala
Hugo Ayala Castro (born 31 March 1987) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Club career Atlas
Hugo Ayala started his professional career with Atlas. He made his official debut in 2006 as a starter against C ...
, but the 1–2 defeat saw Mexico eliminated in last place in
their group.
Copa América Centenario
Jiménez was called up by
Juan Carlos Osorio
Juan Carlos Osorio Arbeláez (; born 8 June 1961) is a Colombian professional football manager and former footballer who played as a midfielder.
Osorio began his playing career with Deportivo Pereira in 1982, and went on to play for Brazilian c ...
to participate in the
Copa América Centenario
The Copa América Centenario ( pt, Copa América Centenário, french: Coupe Amerique Centennaire, en, Centennial Cup America; literally ''Centennial America Cup'') was an international men's association football tournament that was hosted by the ...
. He made three appearances but did not score.
2017 FIFA Confederations Cup
![2017 Confederation Cup - MEXNZL - Raúl Jiménez](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/2017_Confederation_Cup_-_MEXNZL_-_Ra%C3%BAl_Jim%C3%A9nez.jpg)
Jiménez was included the
2017 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup was the 10th and final edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup, a quadrennial international men's football tournament organised by FIFA. It was held in Russia, from 17 June to 2 July 2017, as a prelude to the 20 ...
roster. He scored his only goal in the tournament against
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
to tie the game 1–1; the team would go on to win the match 2–1.
2018 FIFA World Cup
Jiménez was named in Mexico's 23-man final squad for the
2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national Association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awa ...
in Russia. He would go on to appear as a substitute in both the first group-stage match against
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and the round-of-16 match against
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, but did not score.
2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
On 5 June 2019, Jiménez was included in the Mexico squad for the
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
. In the team's debut match against
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, Jiménez scored twice in ''El Tri's'' 7–0 victory. He scored his third goal in the 3–2 victory over
Martinique
Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...
as Mexico topped Group A and advanced to the knockout round. In the quarter-final match against
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
, Jiménez scored in the 1–1 draw, subsequently missing his penalty in Mexico's 5–4 shootout victory. In the semi-final match against
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
on 2 July, Jiménez scored the game's only goal via the penalty spot after being fouled in the first half of extra time. In the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
against the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Jiménez provided a back-heel pass for
Jonathan dos Santos
Jonathan dos Santos Ramírez (; ; born 26 April 1990) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Liga MX club América.
Early life
Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Jonathan was competing along with his brother Gi ...
' goal, the only one of the match as Mexico won their eighth Gold Cup. He was awarded the Golden Ball Award, playing in all six of Mexico's matches and scoring five goals.
2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League
On 15 November 2019, Jiménez scored a brace and contributed an assist in ''El Tris 3–0 victory over Panama.
2022 FIFA World Cup
Jiménez was named in Mexico's 26-man final squad for the
2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international association football, football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022 ...
in Qatar.
Style of play
A forward, Jiménez is known for his physical presence in the penalty area, as well as his ability to hold-up play and his ability in the air, which allows him to head long passes on or bring the ball down and bring others into play. Despite his size, however, he has been described as not just a "traditional number nine," but a "well-rounded player." His playing style has led to comparisons with
Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović (, ; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for club AC Milan and the Sweden national team. Ibrahimović is renowned for his acrobatic strikes and volleys, powerful long-range sho ...
. Jiménez is also known for his high penalty conversion rate.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Mexico's goal tally first.''
Honours
América
*
Liga MX
The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year.
The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in a ...
:
Clausura 2013
Atlético Madrid
*
Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España or the ''Spanish Super Cup'' is a super cup tournament in Spanish football. Founded in 1982 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2019–20 by four teams: the winners and runners-up of ...
:
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
Benfica
*
Primeira Liga
The Primeira Liga (; English: Premier League, also written as Liga Portugal 1), also known as Liga Portugal Bwin for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga Portugal, ...
:
2015–16,
2016–17
*
Taça de Portugal
The Taça de Portugal (; "Cup of Portugal") is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Placard since the 2015–16 seaso ...
:
2016–17
*
Taça da Liga
The Taça da Liga (), known outside Portugal as Portuguese League Cup, is an annual football club competition organised by the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (LPFP) for teams competing in the Primeira Liga and LigaPro, the top two tier ...
:
2015–16
*
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
The Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (; English: Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup, or simply Portuguese Super Cup) is an annual Portuguese football match played since 1979 between the winners of the Portuguese League (Primeira Liga) and Portuguese ...
:
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
,
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
Mexico U23
*
Olympic Gold Medal
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
:
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
*
Toulon Tournament
The Toulon Tournament (officially the Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello) is a football (training match) tournament, which traditionally features invited national teams composed of youth players from U-17 to U-23 level. ...
:
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
Mexico
*
CONCACAF Cup
The CONCACAF Cup (officially the CONCACAF Cup presented by Scotiabank for sponsorship reasons) was an international soccer play-off match to determine CONCACAF's entry into the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. The 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup w ...
:
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
*
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
:
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
Individual
*
CONCACAF Goal of the Year:
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
*
Taça da Liga
The Taça da Liga (), known outside Portugal as Portuguese League Cup, is an annual football club competition organised by the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (LPFP) for teams competing in the Primeira Liga and LigaPro, the top two tier ...
top scorer:
2015–16
*
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
Golden Ball:
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
*
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup ( es, Copa de Oro de la CONCACAF, french: Coupe D'or CONCACAF) is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the continental champion of North Ameri ...
Best XI:
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
*
PFA Player of the Month: November 2019
*
IFFHS
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) is an organisation that chronicles the history and records of association football. It was founded in 1984 by Alfredo Pöge in Leipzig. The IFFHS was based in Abu Dhabi for so ...
CONCACAF Best XI: 2020
*
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
Player of the Season: 2019–20
*
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
Players' Player of the Season: 2018–19, 2019–20
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Raúl Jiménezat
ESPN Deportes
ESPN Deportes (, ''ESPN Sports'') is an American multinational Spanish-language pay television sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company (which owns a controlling 80% stake) and Hearst Communications (whi ...
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jimenez, Raul
1991 births
Living people
Footballers from Hidalgo (state)
Association football forwards
Mexican footballers
Club América footballers
Atlético Madrid footballers
S.L. Benfica footballers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. players
Liga MX players
La Liga players
Primeira Liga players
Premier League players
Mexico youth international footballers
Olympic footballers of Mexico
Mexico international footballers
Footballers at the 2012 Summer Olympics
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
2014 FIFA World Cup players
2015 Copa América players
Copa América Centenario players
2017 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2018 FIFA World Cup players
2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
Olympic gold medalists for Mexico
Olympic medalists in football
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players
Mexican expatriate footballers
Mexican expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Mexican expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Mexican expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate footballers in Spain
Expatriate footballers in Portugal
Expatriate footballers in England
2022 FIFA World Cup players