The Fulham forward reached 37 goals with El Tri after scoring twice against Canada in Nations League semifinals
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The forward nearing El Tri's top 3 all-time goalscorers
Jiménez debuted with national team in 2013
Top 3: Chicharito, Jared Borgetti, Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
Raúl Jiménez is having an exceptional moment as a footballer, both with Fulham in the Premier League and with the Mexican national team. The 'Lobo de Tepeji' scored two goals in Mexico's victory over Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals, bringing his total to 37 goals with El Tri.
That puts him just one goal away from tying Cuauhtémoc Blanco and entering the top three of Mexico's all-time top scorers, a list led by Chicharito.
Mexico's all-time top scorers:
Chicharito – 52 goals
Jared Borgetti – 46 goals
Cuauhtémoc Blanco – 38 goals
Raúl Jiménez – 37 goals (current)
Luis Hernández – 35 goals
AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Jiménez debuted with the Mexican national team in 2013 while playing for América in Liga MX. Since then, he has become one of El Tri's main forwards, participating in three World Cups. Despite ranking as the fourth-highest scorer, Jiménez has not scored in the World Cup.
After Thursday's victory over Canada, the forward confessed his desire to play in the 2026 World Cup, saying "It's a beautiful thing to play a World Cup at home. I’ve been in three World Cups, and it hasn’t gone the best way I’d have liked."
AFPWHAT RAÚL JIMÉNEZ SAID
Jiménez spoke about the two goals he scored in the semifinals against Canada and shared his thoughts on playing alongside Santiago Giménez: "Sometimes it's good to have two forwards who play well and are doing things right. It keeps the defense more occupied with two rather than one. That’s important. We didn’t have many chances to score, but the way it all turned out was good."
AFPDID YOU KNOW?
Raúl Jiménez's first goal with the Mexican National Team came on July 12, 2013, against Canada. At that time, the forward was playing in his first Gold Cup with El Tri. Interestingly, Mexico lost in the semifinals to the same opponent they will face Sunday in the Nations League final: Panama.
One of Jiménez's most famous goals came when he scored a bicycle kick against Panama in the qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup. Mexico was on the verge of being eliminated in the qualifiers until he scored that legendary goal.