Top 50 players at 2022 World Cup, No. 50: Raúl Jiménez

FOX Sports soccer analyst and former USMNT midfielder Stu Holden is counting down the 50 greatest players collaborating within the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. First up…

Raúl Jiménez

Country: Mexico
Rank: 50
Rank in 2018: 49
Position: Forward
Age: 31

Jiménez has performed in two World Cups for Mexico, however by no means as their beginning striker. In 2018, that title was held by Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, and in 2014, Oribe Peralta led El Tri‘s assault.

With Peralta now retired and Chicharito not anticipated to be in Mexico coach Tata Martino’s plans for Qatar, Jiménez has the chance to fill that function, even when he is not a one-for-one alternative for Chicharito, Mexico’s all-time main goalscorer.

“You think about strikers from Mexico, Chicharito’s the best with his movement in the box,” Stu Holden stated. “He’s not quite at that level, but he’s a guy that can find space and put the ball in the back of the net.”

There are respectable issues about whether or not Jiménez shall be match when Mexico depart to Qatar, but when he is accessible and in-form, he’ll make an enormous distinction for an in any other case inexperienced group of forwards.

“If Mexico are going to make a run at this year’s edition and get out of a very difficult group with Argentina, Poland and Saudi Arabia, they’re going to need Jiménez to put the ball in the back of the net for them to make a deep run.”