Trailing since the 4th minute, Mexico sought an equalizer against the USMNT in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final. Star striker Raul Jimenez delivered, leveling the score and paying tribute to Diogo Jota.
The goal came after Jesus Gallardo delivered a ball down the left flank to Marcel Ruiz, who threaded a perfectly timed pass into the box. Jimenez latched onto it and fired a powerful left-footed strike that deflected off Tim Ream, beating the goalkeeper and leveling the game in the 27th minute.
In his celebration, Jimenez honored his former Wolverhampton Wanderers teammate, Diogo Jota. Donning a Mexico shirt with Jota’s name on the back, he sat down on the pitch and mimicked Jota’s signature joystick celebration—a heartfelt tribute to the late Portuguese star.
Jimenez wore the Jota tribute shirt as he walked out of the tunnel with his teammates before kickoff. After scoring the equalizer, he immediately ran to the sideline to retrieve it, using the emotional moment on the sport’s biggest regional stage to honor his late friend.
Jimenez’s message to Jota
After joining Wolves in 2018, Raul Jimenez spent two seasons alongside Diogo Jota before the latter moved to Liverpool in 2020. As attacking partners, the two shared memorable moments—making the tragic news of Jota’s passing all the more difficult for the Mexican striker to process.
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Jiménez was among the first players to post a heartfelt tribute on social media: “It’s hard to receive this kind of news, and I still can’t believe it. An excellent teammate, friend, and above all, a great father. Thank you for everything, my friend—we will always remember you. A hug to heaven. Rest in peace.”
