Raúl Jiménez facts for kids

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Raúl Jiménez

Jiménez with Mexico in 2023
Personal information
Full name	Raúl Alonso Jiménez Rodríguez
Date of birth	(1991-05-05) 5 May 1991 (age 34)
Place of birth	Tepeji, Hidalgo, Mexico
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Fulham
Number	7
Youth career
2008–2011	América
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2014	América	96	(36)
2014–2015	Atlético Madrid	21	(1)
2015–2019	Benfica	80	(18)
2018–2019	→ Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan)	38	(13)
2019–2023	Wolverhampton Wanderers	97	(27)
2023–	Fulham	62	(19)
International career‡
2012	Mexico U23	12	(1)
2013–	Mexico	117	(42)
Medal record Representing  Mexico Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Team CONCACAF Gold Cup Winner 2019 United States Winner 2025 United States–Canada CONCACAF Nations League Winner 2025 United States CONCACAF Cup Winner 2015 United States
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:54, 25 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:13, 7 July 2025 (UTC)

Raúl Alonso Jiménez Rodríguez (born May 5, 1991) is a professional footballer from Mexico. He plays as a striker for the English club Fulham and the Mexico national team.

Jiménez started his career in the youth system of Club América. He made his first-team debut in October 2011. In 2013, he helped América win their first championship. He was the team's second-best goal scorer that season.

In August 2014, Jiménez moved to the Spanish team Atlético Madrid. After one season, he joined Benfica in Portugal. He played 120 games and scored 31 goals over three years with Benfica. He won two league titles and other important awards there.

In June 2018, Jiménez joined Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan. He was their top scorer with 17 goals. The next year, he joined Wolves permanently. He became a very important striker for them. He had a serious head injury in November 2020, which kept him out for nine months. He returned to play in August 2021.

Jiménez was part of the Mexico under-23 team that won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Since 2013, he has played for the senior Mexico national team. He has played in three FIFA World Cups (2014, 2018, and 2022). He also played in three CONCACAF Gold Cups (2013, 2019, and 2025). He is currently third on Mexico's all-time goal scorer list with 42 goals.

Playing for Clubs

América: Early Career

Raúl Jiménez started his football journey in the youth team of Club América. He was seen as a promising young striker.

First Games and Goals

On October 9, 2011, Jiménez played his first professional game. It was for América against Monarcas Morelia, and the game ended in a 1–1 draw. He scored his first goal on October 30 in a 2–3 loss to Puebla. He played six games and scored one goal in his first tournament.

In the next tournament, Clausura 2012, he scored his first goal on March 9 against Tijuana. América reached the semi-finals but lost to Monterrey.

Becoming a Starter

After playing in the 2012 Summer Olympics, Jiménez became a regular starter for América. He wore the number 9 shirt. On September 15, he scored in a 2–0 win against Santos Laguna. He scored again two weeks later. He finished the tournament with four goals in sixteen games.

In the Clausura 2013 tournament, Jiménez scored two goals in a game for the first time. This happened on January 19 in a 4–0 win against Atlante. He scored two more goals on February 2 against Querétaro. On March 31, he scored two headers against Guadalajara. He scored eight goals in the regular season. América reached the final and won the league championship after a penalty shootout.

More Goals and Success

In the Apertura 2013 tournament, Jiménez scored his first goal on August 3 in a 3–0 win over Atlas. He scored in the next three games too. He finished the regular season with seven goals. América reached the league final again but lost to León.

In the Clausura 2014 tournament, Jiménez played 17 games and scored 8 goals. On April 30, he scored three goals in a single game against Santos Laguna, but América was still knocked out of the playoffs.

Leaving América

Jiménez started the Apertura 2014 tournament by scoring four goals in his first three games. On August 4, he scored three goals in a 4–0 win against Puebla. He played his last game for América on August 9, 2014, helping them win 2–0 against Tigres UANL.

Atlético Madrid: A Short Stay

Jiménez playing for Atlético Madrid in 2015

On August 13, 2014, Jiménez joined the Spanish club Atlético Madrid. He signed a six-year contract. He played his first game for them on August 16 in a friendly tournament.

His first official game was on August 19 in the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid. Atlético won the Super Cup 2–1 on total score.

Jiménez made his La Liga debut on August 25, 2014. He scored his only league goal for Atlético on September 27 in a 4–0 win against Sevilla.

Benfica: Winning Titles

On August 13, 2015, Jiménez joined Benfica, a top club in Portugal. He signed a five-year deal.

First Season with Benfica

Jiménez playing for Benfica in the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League

Jiménez scored his first goal for Benfica on August 29, helping them win 3–2 against Moreirense. On November 26, he scored two goals in the UEFA Champions League against Astana, which ended in a 2–2 draw.

On March 9, 2016, he helped Benfica reach the Champions League quarter-finals. On April 9, he scored the winning goal against Académica, helping Benfica stay ahead in the league. He scored again in the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, but Benfica was knocked out.

On May 15, Benfica won the league title. Five days later, Jiménez scored a penalty in the Taça da Liga final, which Benfica won 6–2. He was the top scorer in that competition with four goals.

More Success at Benfica

In July 2016, Benfica bought the remaining share of Jiménez's player rights. This made him one of the most expensive Mexican players. In the 2016–17 season, he played in the Portuguese Cup final, which Benfica won 2–1.

On December 17, 2017, Jiménez played his 100th game for Benfica.

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Becoming a Star

Loan Season

On June 12, 2018, Jiménez joined Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) on a one-year loan. He made his official debut for Wolves on August 11, scoring a goal in a 2–2 draw against Everton.

He scored the only goal in a win against Burnley on September 16. He also provided many assists for his teammates. On December 5, he scored in Wolves' 2–1 win against Chelsea. On December 15, he scored in a 2–0 win over Bournemouth. This was the first time Wolves won three Premier League games in a row since 1980.

On March 10, 2019, Jiménez scored against Chelsea, tying the record for most Premier League goals by a Wolves player in a single season (twelve). Six days later, he scored in Wolves' 2–1 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup, helping them reach the semi-finals.

On April 4, Wolves signed Jiménez permanently on a four-year contract. This was a club record transfer fee. He scored his 13th Premier League goal on April 27, becoming the Wolves player with the most goals in a single Premier League season. He scored 17 goals in total that season and was voted the Wolves Players' Player of the Season.

Top Scorer for Wolves

On August 1, 2019, Jiménez scored two goals against Crusaders in the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League. He scored two more goals in the next round against FC Pyunik. He scored his first Premier League goal of the season on August 25 against Burnley. In November, he was voted PFA Player of the Month.

On December 27, Jiménez scored his eighth Premier League goal and 17th overall, matching his total from the previous season. On January 18, 2020, he scored two goals against Southampton, becoming Wolves' all-time top scorer in the Premier League. On June 20, he broke his own record for most goals in a single Premier League season for Wolves. He finished the season with 27 goals. He was voted Wolves' player of the season by both fans and teammates.

Serious Injury and Return

On September 14, 2020, Jiménez played his 100th game for Wolves and scored in a 2–0 win against Sheffield United. On October 3, he signed a new four-year contract with Wolves.

On November 29, Jiménez suffered a serious head injury after a clash with another player. He had to have surgery and was out for nine months.

He returned to play for Wolves in August 2021, wearing a head guard. He scored his first goal since the injury on September 26 against Southampton. On November 1, he scored his 50th goal for Wolves against Everton.

He received his first red card for Wolves on December 11, 2021. He scored his fifth Premier League goal of the season on February 13, 2022, against Tottenham Hotspur.

Challenges in 2022–23

Jiménez started the 2022–23 season with some injuries. He made his first start on August 23, 2022, in the EFL Cup against Preston North End, where he scored. He scored two more goals in the same competition later that season.

Fulham: New Chapter

On July 25, 2023, Jiménez joined Fulham, another Premier League team. He signed a two-year contract. He was only the second Mexican player to play for Fulham.

First Season with Fulham

On August 12, 2023, Jiménez made his debut for Fulham in a 1–0 win against Everton. On November 12, he scored his first Premier League goal for Fulham against Aston Villa. In December, he scored in two big 5–0 wins. He was sent off in a match on December 16. On his return, he scored against Arsenal on December 31. On the last day of the 2023–24 season, he scored two goals against Luton Town, finishing the season with seven goals.

Current Season: 2024–25

Jiménez scored his first goal of the 2024–25 season in the EFL Cup against Birmingham City. In September, he scored in three Premier League games in a row. His goal against Nottingham Forest was his 50th Premier League goal and his 100th goal for a European club. This made him only the third Mexican player to score 100 goals in Europe. On May 18, 2025, Jiménez scored in Fulham's 3–2 win over Brentford. Fulham finished the season with 54 points, a new club record in the Premier League.

Playing for Mexico

Under-23 Team: Olympic Gold

Toulon Tournament

In 2012, Jiménez played for the Mexico under-23 team in the Toulon Tournament. He scored Mexico's third goal in a 4–2 win over the Netherlands in the semi-finals. Mexico won the final 3–0 against Turkey.

London Olympics

Jiménez was part of the Mexico squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He played in several games, usually coming on as a substitute. Mexico won the gold medal by defeating Brazil 2–1 in the final.

Senior National Team: A Long Career

Jiménez made his debut for the senior national team on January 30, 2013, in a 1–1 draw against Denmark.

FIFA Confederations Cup

In May 2013, Jiménez was chosen for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. He played in all three group games.

CONCACAF Gold Cup

Jiménez with Mexico in 2013.

In June 2013, Jiménez was included in Mexico's squad for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He scored against Canada and Trinidad and Tobago. Mexico reached the semi-finals.

FIFA World Cup Appearances

On October 11, 2013, Jiménez scored an amazing bicycle kick goal against Panama in a World Cup qualifier. This goal helped Mexico win 2–1 and was later named CONCACAF Goal of the Year.

He was part of Mexico's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He made his World Cup debut on June 17 against host nation Brazil. He also played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Copa América and Confederations Cup

In the 2015 Copa América, Jiménez scored against Chile and Ecuador. Mexico was eliminated in the group stage. He also played in the Copa América Centenario in 2016.

Jiménez at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup

Jiménez was in the squad for the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He scored his only goal in the tournament against New Zealand, helping Mexico win 2–1.

Gold Cup Wins

Jiménez in 2023.

On June 5, 2019, Jiménez was part of the Mexico squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He scored two goals against Cuba in a 7–0 win. He scored again against Martinique. In the quarter-final against Costa Rica, he scored in a 1–1 draw, and Mexico won on penalties. He scored the only goal in the semi-final against Haiti. In the final against the United States, Jiménez helped set up the winning goal. Mexico won their eighth Gold Cup, and he received the Golden Ball Award for being the best player.

On July 6, 2025, he won the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup with Mexico. He scored the tying goal in the final against the United States, and Mexico won 2–1.

CONCACAF Nations League

On November 15, 2019, Jiménez scored two goals and assisted another in Mexico's 3–0 win over Panama in the 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League.

On March 23, 2025, Mexico won the final of the 2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League, beating Panama 2–1. Jiménez scored both of Mexico's goals. He was also the top scorer in the tournament's League A.

On September 9, 2023, he played his 100th game for Mexico and scored his 30th international goal in a 2–2 draw with Australia.

How He Plays

Jiménez is a forward known for his strong presence in the penalty area. He is good at holding up the ball and bringing other players into the game. He is also very good in the air, scoring many goals with his head. Even though he is a big player, he is not just a "traditional number nine" (a classic striker). He is a "well-rounded player" who can do many things on the field. People have compared his playing style to Zlatan Ibrahimović. He is also known for being very good at scoring penalty kicks.

Career Statistics

Club Games and Goals

International Games and Goals

Scores and results list Mexico's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Jiménez goal.

List of international goals scored by Raúl Jiménez

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	11 July 2013	CenturyLink Field, Seattle, United States	Canada	1–0	2–0	2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2	20 July 2013	Georgia Dome, Atlanta, United States	Trinidad and Tobago	1–0	1–0	2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
3	11 October 2013	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	Panama	2–1	2–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	13 November 2013	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	New Zealand	2–0	5–1	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
5	18 November 2014	Borisov Arena, Barysaw, Belarus	Belarus	1–0	2–3	Friendly
6				2–1
7	15 June 2015	Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile	Chile	2–1	3–3	2015 Copa América
8	19 June 2015	Estadio El Teniente, Rancagua, Chile	Ecuador	1–2	1–2
9	4 September 2015	Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, United States	Trinidad and Tobago	2–2	3–3	Friendly
10	2 September 2016	Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador	El Salvador	3–1	3–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
11	1 June 2017	MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States	Republic of Ireland	2–0	3–1	Friendly
12	8 June 2017	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	Honduras	3–0	3–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
13	21 June 2017	Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia	New Zealand	1–1	2–1	2017 FIFA Confederations Cup
14	13 November 2017	Stadion Energa Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland	Poland	1–0	1–0	Friendly
15	7 September 2018	NRG Stadium, Houston, United States	Uruguay	1–1	1–4
16	11 October 2018	Estadio Universitario, San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico	Costa Rica	3–2	3–2
17	22 March 2019	SDCCU Stadium, San Diego, United States	Chile	1–0	3–1
18	15 June 2019	Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States	Cuba	2–0	7–0	2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
19				5–0
	23 June 2019	Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, United States	Martinique	2–1	3–2
20	29 June 2019	NRG Stadium, Houston, United States	Costa Rica	1–0	1–1	2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
21	2 July 2019	State Farm Stadium, Glendale, United States	Haiti	1–0	1–0
22	15 November 2019	Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama	Panama	1–0	3–0	2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A
23				3–0
24	7 October 2020	Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Netherlands	1–0	1–0	Friendly
25	14 November 2020	Stadion Wiener Neustadt, Wiener Neustadt, Austria	South Korea	1–1	3–2
26	17 November 2020	Liebenauer Stadium, Graz, Austria	Japan	1–0	2–0
27	13 October 2021	Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador	El Salvador	2–0	2–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
28	2 February 2022	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	Panama	1–0	1–0
29	30 March 2022	Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico	El Salvador	2–0	2–0
30	7 June 2023	Estadio de Mazatlán, Mazatlán, Mexico	Guatemala	1–0	2–0	Friendly
31	9 September 2023	AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States	Australia	1–2	2–2
32	12 September 2023	Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States	Uzbekistan	1–1	3–3
33				2–2
34	15 October 2024	Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico	United States	1–0	2–0
35	19 November 2024	Estadio Nemesio Díez, Toluca, Mexico	Honduras	1–0	4–0	2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League A
36	20 March 2025	SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States	Canada	1–0	2–0	2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals
37				2–0
38	23 March 2025		Panama	1–0	2–1	2025 CONCACAF Nations League final
39				2–1
40	14 June 2025		Dominican Republic	2–0	3–2	2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup
41	2 July 2025	Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States	Honduras	1–0	1–0	2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup
42	6 July 2025	NRG Stadium, Houston, United States	United States	1–1	2–1	2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup final

Awards and Achievements

América

• Liga MX: Clausura 2013, Apertura 2014

Atlético Madrid

• Supercopa de España: 2014

Benfica

• Primeira Liga: 2015–16, 2016–17
• Taça de Portugal: 2016–17
• Taça da Liga: 2015–16
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2016, 2017

Mexico U23

• Olympic Gold Medal: 2012
• Toulon Tournament: 2012

Mexico

• CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2019, 2025
• CONCACAF Nations League: 2024–25
• CONCACAF Cup: 2015

Individual Awards

• CONCACAF Goal of the Year: 2013
• Gold Plate of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2014
• Globe Soccer Special Award: 2014
• Taça da Liga top scorer: 2015–16
• CONCACAF Gold Cup Golden Ball: 2019
• CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2019, 2025
• PFA Player of the Month: November 2019
• IFFHS CONCACAF Best XI: 2020
• Wolverhampton Wanderers Player of the Season: 2019–20
• Wolverhampton Wanderers Players' Player of the Season: 2018–19, 2019–20
• CONCACAF Nations League Finals Best Player: 2025
• CONCACAF Nations League Finals Golden Boot: 2025
• CONCACAF Nations League Finals Best XI: 2025

See also

In Spanish: Raúl Jiménez para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more caps