Overview
- Raúl Jiménez suffered a fractured skull on November 29, 2020 after a head‑to‑head collision with David Luiz that left him unconscious and required emergency brain surgery in London.
- He spent roughly eight months recovering and returned to professional play in August 2021 wearing a custom, medically approved headguard that doctors advised he use long term.
- At the 2026 World Cup Jiménez has scored multiple goals while wearing the device and has helped Mexico progress through the tournament’s knockout stages.
- Medical reports cited in coverage say tests show no lasting brain damage, and the headguard is engineered to absorb and distribute blunt impacts while covering the surgical scar and structurally weak bone.
- Beyond its safety role, the visible headguard has become a symbol of Jiménez’s recovery and has drawn renewed attention to player protection and the human side of his comeback.