The Sun (Reporter Yue Ranan) - The first round of the men's World Cup group stage in North America has concluded, with the spotlight on Messi's "hat-trick," Haaland's brutal aesthetics, and Mbappé's two goals, while in the corners where the spotlight doesn't reach, three names are written on different scoreboards, each silent, each burning hot.

Jiménez: A finger pointing to the sky

At the Mexico City Stadium, in the 67th minute of the opening match, Raúl Jiménez leapt high, headed the ball into the net, giving the host Mexico a 2-0 lead over South Africa.

He didn't celebrate wildly, just quietly raised his hand, pointed to the sky, closed his eyes, letting tears flow freely.

On June 11, Mexico's player Raúl Jiménez celebrates after scoring in the opening match against South Africa. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wu Wei

Jiménez's father passed away in March this year from pancreatic cancer. At that time, he was competing with Fulham in the Premier League and couldn't attend the funeral. The old man's last wish was: "I want to see my son score in the World Cup."

This is Jiménez's first goal in four World Cups, after waiting 12 years. But even more heartbreaking than the wait is the shadow of November 2020 — Wolves vs. Arsenal, when he collided with an opponent's head, fractured his skull, and lost consciousness on the spot. Doctors confirmed that he