Raul Jimenez pays emotional Diogo Jota tribute before lifting major trophy
Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards had given Mauricio Pochettino's side an early lead, only for Raul Jimenez to equalise. West Ham defender Edson Alvarez sealed victory in the 77th minute to secure Mexico's tenth title in all.
And it was an especially emotional occasion for Jimenez, who made sure to pay tribute to his friend Jota - who died alongside his brother in a devastating car crash in Spain last week. Before the game, Jimenez had walked out onto the pitch wearing a Mexico shirt with Jota's name and number on the back.
And once he scored, he also made sure to emulate his former teammate as he copied his trademark gaming celebration as he sat down with his legs crossed and pretended to hold a controller. Jimenez's latest tribute comes just days after he penned an emotional message to the Liverpool forward.
He wrote: 'It's hard to process this kind of news - I still can't believe it. An incredible team-mate, a friend, and above all, a great father. Thank you for everything, my friend. We'll always remember you. Sending a hug to heaven.'
Jimenez is far from the only former Wolves star to have paid tribute to Jota. Midfielder Ruben Neves also wrote an emotional message on social media.
He said: 'Bug, wherever you are I know you will read this, we were never this lame and I may regret it now a little, but you know what you mean to me as much as I know what I am to you.
'More than a friendship, we're family, and we won't stop it just because now you decided to sign a contract a little further away from us! When I go to the selection, you'll still be next to me at the dinner table, on the bus, on the plane... you'll always be there with me as always.
Share your tributes for Diogo Jota using the comments below
'Let's keep laughing, making plans, sharing our life with each other. I'm going to make sure you're always present and I'll make sure that your loved ones never lack anything while you're there, far away but thinking of us, waiting for us.
'Life has brought us together and now it can't tear us apart. We've achieved some great things together, we still have a lot to go, I know we can. From today on, you will enter the field with me and we will follow our path together, on the stage where we met. Diogoal, you are my favorite lemonade!!'
Neves was also consoled by his teammates as he became overwhelmed with emotion during a minute's silence at the Club World Cup in the USA. The former Wolves star also attended the funeral of Jota and his brother over the weekend.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
30 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Celtic ‘monitoring Odsonne Edouard situation closely as they consider sensational move to re-sign Crystal Palace star'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ODSONNE EDOUARD could make a sensational return to Celtic - four years after he departed Glasgow for Crystal Palace. The French striker has been transfer listed by the Premier League club after being sent out on loan to Leicester City last season and he is not in manager Oliver Glasner's plans. 1 Odsonne Edouard's big move to Crystal Palace from Celtic hasn't gone to plan Credit: Reuters Edouard, 27, joined Celts for a club record fee in the region of £9million in 2018, after shining during a spell on loan from PSG the previous season. The Parkhead club sold him to Palace in 2021 for £14m, with the potential for the value to rise to over £18m if certain add-ons and targets were met. Edouard scored 89 goals in 196 matches for the Hoops but just a few weeks into the reign of Ange Postecoglou it became clear he was going to be moving on. Crystal Palace snapped him up and he made an instant impact on his debut for the Eagles, scoring twice as an 84th minute substitute for Christian Benteke (the first of which was the fastest debut goal in Premier League history, coming after 28 seconds). But in his other 27 league appearances that season, he managed just four goals. His didn't improve on his goal return the following season, scoring five times in 35 Premier League outings, with one more each in both the FA Cup and the League Cup. The 2022-23 campaign may prove to be his last full season as a Palace player, in which he scored eight goals from 33 games across all competitions. Edouard played only twice for the Selhurst Park outfit last season and barely got a kick at Leicester either after being shipped to the Midlands on loan. He made four appearances in the Premier League and a further two in the League Cup but failed to score in any of his outings. According to Weekend Sports, Celtic are monitoring the forward's situation closely after he was transfer listed by Crystal Palace. Lisbon training camp latest as Hoops close in on sixth summer signing It's claimed Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers is considering offering the player a stunning return to Celtic Park to get his career back on track. Rodgers coached Edouard during his loan stint at Celts and until he himself left for Leicester in February 2019, two-thirds of the way through Edouard's first permanent season at the Parkhead side. The Hoops of course still have Adam Idah on the books and Daizen Maeda was last season's top scorer, but he may end up returning to the wing this coming season - particularly due to the absence of Jota due to injury for the first half of the campaign. Edouard is entering the final year of his deal at Selhurst Park so could be available for much less than what Celtic sold him for in 2021. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Exploding Celtic transfer updates on six ins and outs as brutal Edouard truth emerges while 'El Estrella' goes cryptic
It's all happening at Celtic Park and we've got the latest on four ins and two outs Frontline reinforcements appear to be the order of the day for Celtic – and that means Odsonne Edouard isn't straying far from the headlines. The Crystal Palace frontman played the best football of his career after Brendan Rodgers brought him to Parkhead but finds himself at a crossroads after his move to the Premier League hasn't quite gone to plan. Four years have passed since his £13m move south and, after an underwhelming loan spell at Leicester last season, he's been made available. And you'd be naive to think Rodgers isn't at least keeping tabs on the situation. There's an obvious stumbling block. We understand the Frenchman earns a base salary north of £70,000 a week at Selhurst Park while Spotrac rank it much higher than that at £4.7m per year – around £90,000 weekly. Palace are itching to part ways with Edouard who triggered a one-year extension last year which sees his contract run until the summer of 2026. But if there's a way to make it work financially then Celtic won't hesitate over a striker who would be a sure thing for a second spell in Glasgow. Elsewhere, Luis Palma has thrown his future into further doubt with a cryptic social media post as he seemingly nears the exit door. The winger spent last season on loan at Olympiacos but they elected not to sign him permanently and he now finds himself in purgatory so to speak – with no apparent future at Parkhead and no queue of suitors waiting to offer him an exit route. Rodgers famously (or infamously) dubbed him 'El Estrella' (Spanish for the star) during his press conference last summer, but seemingly doesn't fancy him with the exit door open to the Honduran. Now he's shared a post on Instagram which reads "Explicar da mucho trabajo... júzgame y sé feliz." That translates to "Explaining is a lot of work... Judge me and be happy." Another winger who looks likely to exit this summer is South Korea star Yang who, despite Nicolas Kuhn's exit, is expected to be surplus to requirements. He was a £2m signing two years ago but only started 11 times last season and, as Rodgers reshapes his forward line, looks free to leave if he can find a new club. Norwich City are said to be interested in the wide man and any bid that would see them recoup the £2m they paid for the 23-year-old is likely to be considered. As far as incomings in the forward line go, Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Shin Yamada look like the most likely additions at this stage and, on the former, Royal Antwerp sporting director Marc Overmars recently called for 'attractive offers' for the Belgium U21 cap. He's likely to be by far the more expensive addition of the two, with Kawasaki Frontale striker Yamada expected to cost around £1.2m. Elsewhere we understand the Hoops are continuing to pursue a deal for Flavio Nazinho, the left-back eyed up as short-term backup and perhaps a long-term successor to the returning Kieran Tierney. Landing a new player in that position was always going to be tricky considering the spot will be Tierney's if he stays fit. But that's a big if where the Scotland star is considered and there are likely to be chances for up-and-coming Nazinho as and when the deal gets over the line. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Celtic page, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to your phone. Join our Celtic community here.
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres transfer ‘at serious risk of complete collapse' over Sporting's bonus demands
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ARSENAL'S move for Viktor Gyokeres is at risk of collapsing, according to reports. Mikel Arteta appeared to have finally landed the striker after the two clubs agreed a £63.5million fee. 2 Arsenal's deal to sign Viktor Gyokeres could collapse Credit: Getty But as negotiations rumble on a disagreement has emerged over Sporting's bonus demands, report Portuguese outlet Record. Sporting are understood to want £8.7m in add-ons on top of the initial fee. Arsenal reportedly disagree on the nature of those bonuses and which clauses will be included in the deal. And that means the transfer is in danger at collapsing at a late stage. READ MORE ON ARSENAL Eze does it Arsenal face missing out on Eze as European giants go head-to-head for transfer Sporting president Frederico Varandas is reportedly not budging from his stance. And he hopes a stall in negotiations will encourage a late bid from other interested clubs. Gyokeres, 27, has his heart set on a move to the Emirates and is believed to have agreed a five-year contract. Just over the weekend, Varandas said Gyokeres was facing disciplinary action after failing to report for pre-season training in the Algarve on Saturday. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS 2 Gyokeres, who scored 54 goals in 52 games during last season's league title and cup double, has yet to publicly explain why he has not turned up for pre-season. Varandas told Portuguese news agency Lusa that "no one is above the interests of the club". Why Mikel Arteta must deliver best team in London a trophy | Arsenal Exposed Arsenal hope to wrap up the deal in time for the Swede to join their pre-season tour of Asia at the end of the week. The Gunners also agreed a £52million deal for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke, who left the Blues before their Club World Cup final on Sunday.
