Fulham & Mexico star Raul Jimenez ranks himself above Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane in one key area

During a revealing interview with FOX Sports, viaMarca, the 34-year-old was asked to compare his prowess from the penalty spot against some of the game's most iconic finishers. When presented with a list that included the likes of Kane, Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, Rogerio Ceni, and the titan pair of Messi and Ronaldo, the Fulham man did not hesitate. Jimenez backed himself to come out on top, citing a superior success rate across his decorated career in Mexico, Portugal, and England.

Jimenez was bullish when explaining his reasoning for putting himself at the top of the pile, stating: "Whether you like it or not, I have a better success rate than all of the ones you mentioned. I don't know if I'm the best in the world, but it's something that characterizes me. I'll stick with myself." It is a bold claim for any player to make, but the statistics suggest that the former Wolves man has plenty of evidence to support his confidence when standing over the ball.

Indeed, the numbers illustrate a stark difference in efficiency compared to the two players who dominated the Ballon d'Or for nearly two decades. While Messi bagged a brilliant brace for Inter Miami recently, his career penalty conversion rate sits at approximately 77.8 percent (112 out of 144). Meanwhile, Ronaldo has been diagnosed with a hamstring injury following a match where he uncharacteristically missed a spot-kick, leaving his career average at 83.5 percent (182 out of 218) - figures that pale in comparison to Jimenez's staggering 96 percent success rate.

The Fulham front-man’s record is almost flawless, having missed just twice from 46 attempts in competitive football. His first failure came in a 2018 friendly against Uruguay when Fernando Muslera produced a save, while his only other miss occurred during a high-stakes Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla in 2020. Since then, he has returned to his metronomic best, providing the Cottagers with a sense of inevitability whenever a referee points to the spot in the English top flight.

His reliability was on full display when the Mexican forward added to his perfect Premier League penalty record against Sunderland last month. Converting that latest effort took him to 13 successful strikes from 13 attempts in the top flight, carving out a unique piece of English history. Manchester City legend Yaya Toure previously held a flawless record of 11 from 11, but Jimenez's new leading mark could be extended way beyond that before he leaves the Premier League. Jimenez is now the gold standard for consistency from the spot, proving his self-belief is rooted in tangible results.

That supreme confidence from the spot is bleeding into Jimenez's overall form at Craven Cottage. He boasts nine goals across all competitions this season, helping drive Fulham's push towards the top half of the table. Fulham fans have come to view a penalty award as a guaranteed goal whenever their number nine is on the pitch.

Ultimately, Jimenez knows that comparing himself to multi-Ballon d'Or winners will raise eyebrows, but he remains unmoved by the scale of the task. Fulham will hope to see the Mexico international on the scoresheet again when they take on relegation-threatened West Ham at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night.