The last few years haven’t been easy for Mexican football at the national team level after failing to get past the group stage in the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa América. However, it seems that the sun has returned with the conquest of the CONCACAF Nations League against Panama, where Raúl Jiménez entered the country's Olympus after scoring the two goals of victory to take the title.

Raúl Jiménez is now Mexico's third all-time top scorer

Without a doubt, this FIFA date has been historic for Raúl Jiménez... despite the fact that his call-up raised doubts about overshadowing Santi Giménez. However, both players have complemented each other wonderfully in both games... although it was the Fulham forward who ended up being crowned as the great hero of Mexico's victory in the CONCACAF Nations League.

In the semifinals against Canada, he showed off with a brace that allowed him to surpass Luis ‘El Matador’ Hernández as the fourth all-time top scorer in Mexico's national team history. Ahead of him, he only had Cuauhtémoc Blanco to join Borgetti and ‘Chicharito’ Hernández in the top spots… and he tied their 39 goals thanks to his two goals against Panama.

Raúl Jiménez got his reward

Raúl Jiménez, logically, was radiant with happiness after several very complicated years due to his head injury that seriously threatened his career: “Today, I believe this is the result of all the effort, all the work I’ve put in over the years. Finally, we’re here, back, and doing important things.”

At 33 years old, Raúl Jiménez has reached the pinnacle with Mexico. It will be hard for him to surpass ‘Chicharito’'s 52 goals. However, he is clear about his goal: “We’ve recovered the mentality of wanting to do a respectable job at home and transcend in the World Cups. There’s still a year and a little more to go. But we’re with that great mentality to play the games well, attack when needed, and defend to the death.” Mexico is smiling again with Raúl Jiménez.