On an emotional day for Jimenez following the passing of his father, Raul Jimenez Vega, on March 12, the striker sealed Fulham‘s victory with a perfect penalty kick. After the goal, Jimenez was seen in tears, pointing to the sky in a moving tribute to his father.

Jimenez is a true specialist from the spot. With this goal, he has converted 14 out of 14 penalties in the Premier League, extending a record that is beginning to look unreachable.

Raul Jimenez is 14 for 14: Who previously held the record?

With Jimenez maintaining a perfect conversion rate through 14 attempts, fans are wondering if the streak will ever end. As of now, he holds the record for the most penalties taken in the competition without a single miss.

Prior to Jimenez setting this mark, Yaya Toure held the record with 11 consecutive successful penalties. Dimitar Berbatov also appears high on the list, having converted 9 out of 9 during his time in England.

Jimenez aims to be Mexico’s main striker

Following this victory, Raul Jimenez will return home to play for Mexico during the upcoming international break. El Tricolor is set to face Portugal on March 28, 2026, for the grand reopening of the Estadio Azteca, which has officially been renamed Estadio Banorte as part of its World Cup renovations.

With AC Milan’s Santiago Gimenez recently returning to the pitch after a long ankle injury, Raul Jimenez will look to capitalize on this opportunity. By maintaining his current form, he aims to make a statement and position himself as the preferred option for coach Javier Aguirre heading into the 2026 World Cup.

Mexican national team striker Raul Jimenez donned a jersey bearing the number 20 and the name of his former teammate, Diogo Jota, in a poignant tribute to the late player. This act honored his memory following a tragic accident. The duo had electrified crowds during their two seasons at Wolverhampton Wanderers, forging an attacking partnership that left a lasting impact in the Premier League.

Raul Jimenez shone by netting a pivotal goal against the USMNT. Jesus Gallardo initiated the play with an impressive run down the left, setting up Marcel Ruiz on the edge of the box. Ruiz then found Jimenez, who decisively struck the ball past a helpless Matt Freese. In a heartfelt celebration, Jimenez honored Diogo by mimicking his iconic celebration and putting his jersey on field.

Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez formed a dynamic partnership at Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing together in 81 matches and combining for 17 goals. This impressive feat ranks as the second highest joint goal tally of their careers, trailing only their collaboration with Mohamed Salah, which produced 19 goals. Their synergy played a pivotal role in one of Wolves’ most ambitious projects, propelling the team to the quarterfinals of the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League.

‘I always write to him’ — Diogo Jota’s message to Raul Jiménez before their last Premier League game

Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez, who forged a strong bond as teammates at Wolverhampton Wanderers, continue to maintain their close friendship despite going their separate ways in 2020. In a pre-match interview ahead of Liverpool’s game against Fulham, Jota spoke candidly about their enduring relationship, offering a candid confession.

“I like him a lot, Raul. I also played with Adama, but Raul and I have understood each other very well since the beginning at Wolverhampton…. I remember he was a lot of fun in training and everything in the small-sided games. I always write to him,” Diogo Jota said on April 6, via Telemundo Deportes.

“In reality, I don’t know what happened with the Mexicans. When that rivalry, that tension started,” Messi said in an April interview with Simplemente Futbol. “They positioned themselves in a rivalry with us that doesn’t really exist. There’s no real comparison between Argentina and Mexico.”

After that blunt response, Lionel added an important clarification. “I don’t know where that came from. I’ve always felt very appreciated by the people of Mexico, I’ve never disrespected anyone,” said the Inter Miami forward.

Now Raul Jimenez, striker for the Mexican national team, was asked about Messi’s comments and gave a sincere reply. “I think Messi is right to a certain point. I don’t know where the rivalry came from. It’s not to discredit Mexico or anything like that, because obviously I’m Mexican and I want us to be at the top. But he’s right,” said the Fulham player in an interview with Vamos Show.

“There’s a rivalry with the Argentina national team, but it’s more from the Mexican side toward the Argentinians,” Jimenez admitted. “They’ve beaten Mexico most of the time. They have more soccer history. They’ve always gone further in major tournaments—well, they won the last World Cup.”

How has Messi fared against Mexico?

Over the 20 years Lionel Messi has played for Argentina, he has faced Mexico six times, with five wins and one draw. The first meeting was in the 2006 World Cup quarterfinals in Germany, when Argentina won 2-1 in extra time.

The following year, the teams met again in the semifinals of the Copa America in Venezuela. Lionel had a standout performance and scored a beautiful goal in a 3-0 blowout. In 2008, they played a friendly match that ended in a 4-1 win for Argentina, with a goal and an assist from Messi.

At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Argentina won 3-1 with an assist from the forward, advancing to the quarterfinals. After that, five years passed before the only match in which Messi did not defeat Mexico: a 2-2 friendly draw in which Leo scored one of Argentina’s goals.

Argentina vs Mexico in Qatar

The most recent clash between Argentina and Mexico took place on November 26, 2022, on Matchday 2 of the World Cup group stage in Qatar. Lionel Scaloni’s squad had lost their opener against Saudi Arabia and were on the brink of elimination, but Lionel Messi came to the rescue with a second-half goal that sparked a crucial 2-0 victory.

“It was more about the relief of scoring that important goal than anything against the fans, but the stadium was intense,” Messi recalled about his celebration. “Mexico always brings fans everywhere, to every World Cup. I think it was one of the only, or maybe the only match where it felt like there were more Mexicans than Argentinians. I think it was pretty even.”

Last time Mexico participated in the Copa America was back in 2016 where they had their worst performance ever losing 7-0 against Chile in the quarter finals. This year, they will try not to repeat what happened in 2016, but expectations are low and fans are not very motivated by this team.

The coach Jaime Lozano will try to reverse the bad situation that the Mexican national team is going through, but he left Premier League striker Raul Jimenez off the roster. Many people may wonder why Lozano took this decision.

Raul Jimenez out of Copa America 2024

Raul Jimenez will not be part of the Mexican national team for Copa America 2024 because he is not in top condition after being out of action at Fulham for almost two months due to an injury.

The iconic Mexican striker only played an amount of 61 minutes in the past two months in the last 14 matches with Fulham in the Premier League. Coach Jaime Lozano plans to make a generational change with the national team, leaving aside several players who were previously considered, such as Raul Jimenez.

His exclusion from the squad list is particularly surprising, especially considering that he played a few minutes in Fulham’s recent emphatic victory over Tottenham in Matchday 29 of the 2023/2024 Premier League season.

Many had anticipated the 32-year-old Mexican forward to be included in his national team’s roster for these games. However, despite his recent appearance for Fulham, Jimenez is just returning from an injury. It was thus decided to prioritize his recovery and not risk further strain by including him in the upcoming matches.

Concacaf Nations League Semifinals

Mexico must play at least two official matches. The first one is highly anticipated: the challenging semifinal they are to play against Panama. This is a rematch with the team they narrowly defeated in the final of the last Gold Cup 2023, securing a slim 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Santiago Gimenez.

This time around, the narrative may be entirely different, yet the Mexican team remains the favored contender to triumph over the Panamanians. The second match will be determined by the outcome of the semifinal: a victory will send them to the final, while a defeat will place them in the match for third place.

On November 29, 2020, a collision with Arsenal’s David Luiz halted his rising career and he was never the same again. In fact, his performance in the Qatar 2022 World Cup was very disappointing with Mexico.

Now, when things were going well, Raul Jimenez made an incredible mistake by hitting Sean Longstaff of Newcastle. The aggression was dangerous and got him a red card just in the 22nd minute.

*Ungoing story

Raul Jimenez is a lethal, fast and smart forward who has been playing in the Premier League since 2018, he is considered one of the best Mexican forwards of the moment but unfortunately he will play with his national team in the 2023 Gold Cup.

So far Jimenez is one of a long list of top players who are not playing for Mexico in the Gold Cup, there is much speculation about the future of Mexico in the tournament with a squad full of unknown players.

Prior to the 2023 Gold Cup, Raul Jimenez played for Mexico against Guatemala on June 7 and it was expected that he would be called up for other games knowing that he is the 7th goalscorer of the Mexico’s national team.

Why was Raul Jimenez not called up to play in the 2023 Gold Cup?

Raul Jimenez is not playing for Mexico in the 2023 Gold Cup because he was excluded from the Mexican squad on May 30, 2023 by then-manager Diego Cocca. He played a recent friendly game but was not part of the squad in the Nations League.

Another reason why Raul Jimenez is not playing for Mexico in the tournament is that he was going through a groin injury during the first weeks of June and it was likely that he would have to undergo surgery due to that injury.

Mexico will have to play other forwards in the tournament but this time they will focus their forces in the midfield and use only two forwards like Santiago Gimenez and Henry Martin while they have ten midfielders available.

Currently sitting third in Group B with three points after two games, Herve Renard’s squad can advance to the round of 16 with a win on matchday three, while even a draw would be sufficient. Meanwhile,Mexico’s World Cup campaign has gotten off to a rough start, with a 0-0 draw against Poland and a 2-0 loss to Argentina. El Tri still haven’t scored a tournament goal, and they are still hunting for their first victory.

Gerardo Martino’s squad is now in last place in their group and will be eliminated from the competition if they are unable to win their last group stage game.To advance to the next round, the Mexicansmust hope that Poland defeat Argentina and that they score at least three goals in the process, while Saudi Arabia must beat Mexico.

Why is Mexico’s Raul Jimenez starting on the bench againstSaudi Arabia?

To date in 2022-23, injuries have keptRaul Jimenezout of action for the larger portion of the season. Due to a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee, he missed the team’s early season games. The 31-year-old has not played for Wolverhampton since the team’s 0-0 stalemate against Bournemouth in August.

Jimenez made his 2022 World Cup debut over three months after his last Premier League game and less than a week after making his comeback via an international friendly. The Wolverhamptonattacker entered the Group Stage play against Poland in the 71st minute as a replacement, and he spent most of the match roaming the opposing half, hoping toscore for the first time since March.

Unfortunately for Raul Jimenez, he will once again have to sit on the bench to begin the game. It is expected that Rogelio Funes Moristarts at the top of the lineup,ahead of Henry Martin andRaul Jimenez.

Luis Scaloni’s outfithave won 16 of their most recent matches against theirCONMEBOL rivals since their first meeting in July 1930. Inter striker Lautaro Martinez scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 friendly match victory over El Tri in September 2019.

In July of 2004 at Estadio Elias Aguirre, Mexico defeated Argentina in a Copa America match. The winning goal, scored by Ramon Morales in the ninth minute, was the difference in the game. The last World Cup victory for Gerardo Martino‘s squad came against Japan in 2014, and since then they have lost eight of 10 encounters vs Argentina while only drawing twice.

Why is Mexico’s Raul Jimenez starting on the bench againstArgentina?

Raul Jimenez has been sidelined by injuries for the better part of the 2022-23 season. He was forced to miss the beginning of the season with his team after tearing the medial collateral ligament in his knee. Since their 0-0 draw against Bournemouth in August, the 31-year-old has not suited up for Wolverhampton.

On September 3, in preparation for his team’s Premier League match against Southampton, he sustained a groin injury during pre-game warmups. As a result, the forward has only appeared in four games this year. During that time, he scored a goal for his team in the Carabao Cup match against Preston North End.

His selection to the Mexico World Cup team caught some by surprise, but since he is finally healthy again, he will no doubt fight for a starting role. Almost three months after his last game, the 31-year-old strikercame off the bench in El Tri’s 0-0 draw against Poland on Tuesday.

However, Raul Jimenez will have to sit on the bench again until his time comes, perhaps in the last Group Stage encounter against Saudi Arabia on November 30. For the Argentina clash,Tata Martino will once again go with Henry Martin, with Hirving Lozano and Alexis Vega providing backup on the wings.

It has been a rough year for Mexico. They didn’t have such a good run in the Concacaf Qualifiers, but they managed to get a ticket to their 17th FIFA World Cup; their 8th consecutive since 1994.

Now, they have a great opportunity to finally succeed in a World Cup. Mexicowill first have to defeat Poland, but they will try to do it without Raul Jimenez in their starting 11.

Why is Raul Jimenez not starting for the Mexico vs Poland?

Mexico will begin their journey in the FIFA World Cup against Poland, a match that could decide one of the two tickets for the next round. It won’t be an easy game and el Tri will surely miss Raul Jimenez in their starting 11.

Unfortunately, it seems like the Wolverhampton striker has not fully recovered from his groin injury. Gerardo Martino, Mexico’s coach, decided to take him to Qatar 2022 despite this situation, so he’s expected to have some minutes during the tournament.

In his last appearance, Raul Jimenez played 45 minutes against Sweden in their last International Friendly before the FIFA World Cup. Henry Martin will be Mexico’s starter against Poland this November 22.

Play with Bolavip – Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup Predictor!

With less than a month away from Qatar 2022, Bolavip has made a FIFA World Cup Predictor! Here you can select which countries will advance through each round and predict which national team will get the title. Click right here to play it and share your results with your friends!

Enjoy all the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup matches from the United States through FuboTV. Click here and to take advantage of their 7-day free trial offer.

According to many doctors, Raul Jimenez’srecovery from that skull fracture is a ‘miracle’ and that’s why seeing him at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar would be an epic achievement. The Mexican star doesn’t remember anything about that violent play in the Wolverhampton-Arsenal game.

This season, knee and groin injuries are still the biggest problem for Raul Jimenez. The striker has played just three games for Wolverhampton and is trying a last-minute rehabilitation to be ready for the World Cup. However, strictly in economic terms, Raul Jimenez is still under contract with the Wolves and here you will find out very interesting details about his salary.

Raul Jimenez’s contract with Wolves: How much he makes per hour, day, week, monthand year?

After a spectacular first season with the Wolves, during a loan from Benfica, Raul Jimenez clause was paid by the Premier League team (€38 million) and the player signed a four-year agreement (2019-2023).Then, on October 2020, Wolverhampton extended his contract until 2024.

‘It’s very special for me, because, since the first moment, the Wolves trusted me and gave me that confidence I was looking for in a European team. Now that I have it, I’m very happy and don’t want to let it go. I wanna keep working hard and win important things for this club’, said Raul Jimenez after his new contract’s announcement.

In his latest contract with the Wolves, Raul Jimenez earns€2.4million per year. Considering that number, the Mexican striker makes€200kper month,€50kper week,€7.1kper day and almost €300per hour.