Raul Jimenez scored Mexico's second goal in a 2-0 World Cup opener win over South Africa and cried as he celebrated, turning a routine first-day victory into the emotional image of the match. It was his first World Cup start, coming in his fourth appearance at the tournament, and it ended with him paying tribute to his father.
The goal mattered beyond the scoreline because Jimenez has spent years fighting back from a fractured skull in 2020, a setback that once put his career in jeopardy. On a day when Mexico opened in front of a sell-out crowd at Estadio Azteca, his header gave the home side control and gave supporters a reminder of how far he has come.
But the match never settled into a simple celebration. South Africa finished with nine men after three red cards, including Yaya Sithole for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity early in the second period, Themba Zwane for placing his hand in the face of Roberto Alvarado in an off-the-ball wrestle, and Cesar Montes for stopping a counterattack from Khuliso Mudau. The clearest sign that the game had lost its rhythm came immediately after Jimenez's goal, when a hydration break was called despite the temperature inside the Azteca being 23C.
Mexico still took the result it needed, and Jimenez still had the moment he had chased through four tournaments without a start. The question now is not whether he can deliver on the biggest stage, but whether this return to the line-up becomes the start of a tournament in which Mexico can lean on him again.
