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Santos Laguna's 20-year-old forward Tahiel Jiménez is experiencing a breakthrough in Liga MX, and his impressive scoring run could earn him a first call-up to Mexico's senior national team next month, with Raúl Jiménez ruled out for the remainder of the year.
Just past the halfway point of the Liga MX Apertura 2026 season, Santos have emerged as one of the campaign's most compelling stories, riding five consecutive victories to thrust themselves into playoff contention after finishing at the foot of the table in three of the past four seasons.
Having failed to earn a single start for Santos since April, Jiménez was finally handed his chance by manager Renato Paiva to play from the first whistle in the club's last two fixtures. The young forward seized the opportunity with both hands.
Jiménez netted twice to guide Santos to a 2–1 victory over Atlético San Luis on Oct. 11, then followed that up with a hat-trick on Saturday in a dominant 5–0 thrashing of Querétaro. Five goals across his first two starts of the season have put Jiménez firmly on El Tri's radar, particularly following Raúl Jiménez's knee surgery that will keep him sidelined until 2027.
But who exactly is this previously under-the-radar striker now making waves in Liga MX?
Who Is Striker Tahiel Jiménez?
Jiménez is the son of former Liga MX standout Walter "El Lorito" Jiménez, who claimed a league championship with Santos back in 2008. Though his father is Argentine, Tahiel was born and raised in Mexico and joined Santos's youth academy at the age of 16.
Jiménez made his professional debut for Santos at 18 in April 2024. He has since appeared 40 times during one of the most difficult stretches in the club's history. With the team struggling for results, regular playing time proved elusive—as it often does for young players in Liga MX.
Nevertheless, Jiménez was a consistent presence in Mexico's youth setups and led the attack for El Tri at the 2025 U–20 World Cup, netting his sole goal of the tournament in a 4–1 round-of-16 victory over host nation Chile. He lined up alongside highly-rated teenager Gilberto Mora, mirroring the partnership their fathers once shared during their playing days at the now-defunct Jaguares de Chiapas in Liga MX.
Jiménez managed just two starts for Santos following the U–20 World Cup. However, after netting three goals in four appearances for Mexico at the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games over the summer, Paiva finally handed him his long-awaited opportunity.
Now, Jiménez has already become Santos's leading scorer. His rapid ascent has not gone unnoticed, with reports indicating that El Tri boss Rafael Márquez is weighing up whether to include him in the squad for the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals.
Mexico Has a Major Problem at Striker
Two standout performances may seem like a slim basis for Jiménez to warrant consideration at senior international level, but El Tri is in genuine need of options up front, as recent results have made painfully clear.
With the experienced Wolverhampton Wanderers striker unavailable, Armando González, Santiago Gimenez, and Germán Berterame all received extended opportunities with El Tri during the September–October international window. The three forwards failed to find the net and put in underwhelming displays.
Henry Martín remains the last Mexico center forward not named Raúl Jiménez to score for El Tri in a competitive fixture, with those goals coming two years ago in the second leg of the 2024 Nations League quarterfinal against Honduras.
Injuries have plagued Martín, keeping him out of the national team picture since, though a resurgence in form at Club América has reportedly brought the 33-year-old back onto Márquez's shortlist as well.
That said, if the 20-year-old Jiménez maintains his current form, it will be nearly impossible for Márquez to overlook him.
It is far too premature to crown Jiménez as Mexico's striker of the future, but his recent outings have at least shown that the 20-year-old possesses the potential to develop into a reliable goalscorer—something that carries considerable weight given Mexico's current situation up front.