Why does Raul Jimenez wear a headband? The story behind the Mexico star’s signature accessory

The 2026 World Cup is officially underway, with Raul Jimenez taking center stage as one of the marquee stars featuring in Mexico’s highly anticipated opening match against South Africa. While his attacking prowess always commands attention, viewers will also notice his signature protective headband, an essential accessory stemming from a harrowing chapter in his veteran career that permanently altered how he plays the game.

Jimenez wears the specialized headgear as a direct result of a catastrophic skull fracture he suffered in late 2020. During a Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal, the Mexico striker rose for an aerial duel and suffered a sickening clash of heads with defender David Luiz, an impact that immediately left the soccer world fearing the worst.

The collision fractured his skull and left him unconscious, requiring medical staff to administer emergency oxygen on the pitch before rushing him to the hospital. Though the injury was initially considered life-threatening, Jimenez beat the odds and completed a grueling rehabilitation process to make a defiant return to professional soccer.

He remarkably made his way back to the pitch for the 2021-22 season, scoring an emotional first post-injury goal in September 2021 against Southampton. While he initially wore a full protective head band, medical clearance eventually allowed him to transition to a more streamlined headband designed specifically to shield the exact area of the original fracture.

In an interview with The Guardian during his recovery in 2021, Jiménez opened up about the severity of the incident: “I feel like a player again. They told me it was like miracle to be there. (There was) the skull fracture, the bone broke and there was a little bit of bleeding inside the brain. It was pushing my brain to the inside and that is why the surgery had to be quick. It was a really good job by the doctors.“

Beyond just saving his life, doctors initially warned Jiménez that he might have to hang up his boots for good. “Since the first moment, the doctors told me the risks. Because they are doctors, they have to tell you the truth and you have to take it. The skull fracture did take a little longer than we all expected to heal, but it is a miracle to be here.“