Mexico, Feyenoord's Santi Gimenez will show resilience once again with latest thigh injury

As a 17-year-old in the Cruz Azul academy, Gimenez suffered a health issue that he thought would force him to find a new career, giving up the sport he loves. Being a soccer player was the only thing Gimenez had ever dreamed of. The sport was a part of his family's DNA.

His father, Argentina native Christian “Chaco” Giménez, played as a midfielder for Boca Juniors before moving to Mexico and suiting up for many seasons with Pachuca and Cruz Azul. His form earned several Mexico national team caps after becoming a naturalized citizen.

So news of a complicated thrombosis in his shoulder that could’ve required a lifelong dependence on anticoagulants was tough for Santi to swallow.

“I remember this day the doctor told me, ‘You won’t be able to play football anymore.’ My dad and I went to a room, obviously both of us crying, I asked him ‘Why did this happen to me?’” Santi Gimenez told CalienteTV this year. “I felt I was a good kid, I helped people. I asked, ‘Why is this happening to me if I’m not a bad person?’ My dad said, ‘I don’t know. I honestly don’t have the answer, but there’s someone who has it. That’s God.’”

After three operations and six months away from the soccer field, Gimenez was cleared to return. He quickly began building toward his 2017 professional debut, becoming a regular first-teamer with Cruz Azul in the 2019 Apertura. After making an impression in Liga MX, where he scored 20 goals in 88 appearances, he would earn a move abroad to Feyenoord three years later.

Faith is now something Gimenez references often. In response to this week’s injury news, he wrote on social media, “I’m sure God has a plan and I’ll come back stronger." He also posted a Bible verse that starts, “Do not be afraid for I am with you.”

It’s clear Gimenez begins his recovery in a positive mindset, ready to lean on his faith, his family, and his formative years as a soccer player in returning to the field in the Netherlands. Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, but Gimenez does seem uniquely suited to handle this setback.

Ironically, Gimenez might be more equipped to handle his time away from the pitch than Mexico are.

The time away means he won’t suit up for the Mexico national team again until March of 2024. That potentially will be when El Tri play in the Concacaf Nations League Final Four, though they must qualify with a two-legged quarterfinal series in November (matchup to be determined). It is a missed opportunity for Mexico to evaluate whether or not Gimenez is their long-term solution at striker. With less than two years remaining till the 2026 World Cup, every international window in crucial in determining who will ultimately be on Javier Aguirre's squad.

The young forward’s national team performances have been put under the microscope, and understandably so. In a country accustomed to having great finishers, Mexico has suffered through a lack of forward options in the last several years.

Considering his goal output for Feyenoord, where he has 40 goals in 67 appearances, Gimenez looked to be the great remedy to the scoring problem. Yet, he’s only made Mexico fans more frustrated during his 32 appearances with the team. While supporters remain intrigued by Gimenez's potential, they are starting to grow impatient. Gimenez has just four goals in his three years with the national team. Despite multiple managers having called Gimenez into the squad, none have been able to get the best out of him.

There are plenty of factors at play. The tactics that Mexico and Feyenoord employ are different. He is the focal point with his Eredivisie team whereas he has to find a fit while with El Tri. Plus, CONCACAF defenders zero in on him in a way that he doesn't experience back in the Netherlands.

Yet, Mexico still doesn't have another player who offers the vast potential that Gimenez does. So Mexico fans are choosing optimism with his latest setback, opting to believe time away from the day-to-day grind of soccer leads to a Santi who is not only fully fit, but one who is more psychologically ready to break through the issues he currently has with El Tri.

This year is over for Santi Gimenez, but that doesn’t mean 2025, and particularly, the summer of 2026 can’t be bright.