He doesn’t actually wear an eye patch as part of his normal kit; the common item people notice is a protective headband/headguard he wears after a serious skull fracture in 2020. During a goal celebration, he has also used his headband as an eye patch for a pirate-themed celebration.

Why he wears the headgear

Raúl Jiménez suffered a life-threatening head injury in a collision with David Luiz while playing for Wolves against Arsenal on November 29, 2020. Medical reports said he needed protective headgear afterward, and that’s why he still wears it in matches.

Why people think it is an eye patch

In 2022, he did a pirate-style celebration that included an eye patch and a hook, which made the image spread online. That eye patch was part of the celebration, not his regular playing equipment.

Quick scoop

  • Normal reason: protective headgear after a skull fracture.
  • Eye patch reason: a one-off pirate celebration.
  • Current context: he continues to wear the headguard in major matches, including the 2026 World Cup.

So the short answer is: the eye patch is a celebration prop , while the headband/headguard is the real medical protective gear.