The image has become so familiar that it is easy to forget why it exists.
Every time Raul Jimenez walks onto a football pitch, the black protective headband accompanies him. It is no longer merely equipment. It is a reminder – of a collision that nearly killed him, of a career that almost ended, and of a second chance that has turned him into something bigger than Mexico’s No. 9.
When Mexico begin another knockout campaign against Ecuador on Tuesday (Wednesday 6.30 am, IST), the country’s hopes rest not only on a resurgent team playing at home, but on a striker who knows more than most about second chances.
“I was almost losing everything, even my life,” Jimenez told The Times. “So I’m trying to enjoy football as much as I can. Everything, not just football, everything I try to enjoy more.”
It is a remarkable perspective for someone carrying the expectations of a nation that has spent decades trying to escape one recurring World Cup fate.
Fateful Moment
On November 29, 2020, a routine corner at the Emirates Stadium changed Jimenez’s life. A clash of heads with Arsenal defender David Luiz left him unconscious. He suffered a fractured skull, underwent emergency surgery and spent days in hospital. The injury threatened his life, let alone his career.