Last updated on: June 12, 2026 13:23 IST

Mexican star Raul Jimenez delivered a powerful and emotional performance in the 2026 World Cup opener, scoring a crucial goal against South Africa.

Key Points

  • Raul Jimenez scored a significant goal for Mexico in the 2026 World Cup opener against South Africa.
  • The goal was an emotional tribute to his late father Raul Jimenez Vega, who passed away in March.
  • Jimenez overcame a life-threatening skull fracture in 2020 to return to top-level football.

The best goal of FIFA World Cup opening night belonged to Raul Jimenez and in a match packed with chaos and more red cards than goals.

The Mexico striker sealed a 2-0 win over South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup at the Azteca stadium with a powerful header but the moment was defined less by the finish and more by everything it carried with it.

Emotional Tribute On The Pitch

Jimenez dropped to his knees straight after scoring, eyes shut as emotion took over.

The 35 year old, who once fought back from a life-threatening skull fracture in 2020, looked up to the sky in tribute to his late father Raul Jimenez Vega, who passed away in March.

Around him, 80,000 fans erupted but he remained still for a moment, absorbing it all.

It was his 46th international goal, moving him level with second place on Mexico's all-time scoring list behind Javier Hernandez but the numbers felt secondary on a night like this.

Family's Enduring Support

This was also a personal milestone in another sense: Jimenez's first World Cup start after years of coming off the bench across previous tournaments and a fresh chapter following his return to Wolves earlier this week.

As reported by GOAL, Jimenez spoke about the influence of his family, 'It's really meaningful because the people who take care of you, who love you, are the first ones also that keep those words when you're not doing right so well.'

'My dad, he was always supporting me. He was always a really important part of my career, and I really appreciate that, because he and my whole family always supported me. It doesn't matter what I needed or where I needed to travel for the games, they were always with me.'

'He's going to be really proud,' Jimenez said of his late father. 'He'll be proud of what I'm going to achieve with the national team in the World Cup.'

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Source: Rediff.com