Mexico striker Henry Martin leads the line at World Cup 2022 ahead of Raul Jimenez… but who is he?
(Image credit: Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
World Cup 2022 begins for Mexico today with Henry Martin up front.
That's right: not Raul Jimenez and certainly not Javier Hernandez, a common fixture of World Cups past for the Mexicans. Henry Martin is a complete unknown in Europe and takes the No.20 shirt in Mexico's squad.
It's a hell of a comparison to have him lining up as one striker while Barcelona hitman Robert Lewandowski is playing the role on the opposite team…
Henry Martin: Who is this striker at World Cup 2022?
Henry Martín of America celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the quarter-final second-leg match between America and Puebla as part of the Torneo Apertura 2022 Liga MX in October (Image credit: Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images)
30-year-old Henry Martin is well-known to Mexican fans, having made his debut for the national side seven years ago. Having broke through at Venados and having a spell at Tijauna, he moved to Club America in 2017, one of the country's biggest and best teams.
But Martin's debut all those years ago was indicative of a career to come. The then-23-year-old didn't show quite what he was capable and was taken off around the hour mark by Raul Jimenez.
Raul has gone onto become his homeland's golden boy – and Wolverhampton Wanderers' – though following his awful skull fracture sustained in lockdown against Arsenal in 2020, the Wolves striker hasn't been the same since. Jimenez has had fatigue ever since that injury and coming into the 2022 World Cup, he's found himself on the bench for the opener.
Raul Jimenez in action for Mexico (Image credit: Getty)
Martin, instead, is tasked with the job of leading the line. Still, 55 goals in 165 league games for America is a steady return: he has six in 27 for the national side and he played at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.
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This will be Martin's first World Cup.
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Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.
