Raúl Jiménez Vega, the father of Mexican striker Raúl Jiménez, died on March 12, 2026, in Tepeji del Río, Hidalgo — the same town where his son first kicked a ball and began dreaming of a career in football. He was 62.
No official cause of death was confirmed, but multiple reports indicate he had been fighting pancreatic cancer for over a year. The news spread quickly through the Mexican football community, and understandably so. This wasn't just a player's father. He was one of the central figures in shaping who Raúl Jiménez became.
More than a father in the stands
Jiménez Vega wasn't a background figure. He was involved — from the youth football days in Hidalgo through to Jiménez's rise in European football. He served as a close advisor and, at times, as a de facto representative for his son throughout his career.
He also wasn't shy about defending him publicly. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when commentators questioned whether Jiménez deserved his national team call-up after his injury, his father pushed back. Loudly. That kind of unconditional backing matters more than it gets credit for, especially for a player who spent months rebuilding after a serious head injury in 2020.
He is survived by his wife, Martha Rodríguez, and their four children: Raúl Alonso, Miranda, André, and Toño. By all accounts, he was as devoted to his family as he was to his son's career.
Jiménez is currently one of Mexico's most prominent footballers. Whatever comes next on the pitch will now come without the man who was there from the very beginning, in a small city in Hidalgo, long before any of it was real.
