Gimenez: “World Cup, I will be the top scorer.” He hasn’t scored for Milan since September

Santiago Gimenez has courage. Or it has no sense of reality, you decide. In recent days he accepted the invitation of Billboard, a magazine dedicated to music, for a double interview with the rapper Ernia. When asked, “who will win the World Cup?”, Gimenez said “Mexico” and Ernia followed. When it came to answering about the top scorer, Ernia said “Santi” and he, Gimenez, didn’t think about Harry Kane’s 61 goals of the season, he left Messi aside, he didn’t find a favorite between Mbappé and the Ballon d’Or winner Dembélé but he looked inside himself. And he chose himself: “Saints”. Gimenez hasn’t scored a goal since September.

gimenez, goals and statistics

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At this point, Milan fans will be watching him carefully. Will Gimenez, who is currently a reserve for Mexico, really be able to win a starting shirt and score more than the rest of the world? The games are not particularly complex but not very simple either. Mexico will play against South Africa, South Korea and the Czech Republic and yes, the opener will be the first ever match of the World Cup. Statistics say no. Gimenez is one of four forwards who, this season, have played more than 850 minutes in the big five leagues without scoring. The others are Alvaro Morata (Como), Amin Sarr (Verona) and Kevin Carlos (Nice), who however had scored in the Swiss championship in August, before moving to France. Not only that, Stats Perform suggests that at the World Cup there are only two central attackers without goals in the league this season: Dailon Rocha Livramento (Cape Verde) and himself, Gimenez.

because it’s called bebote

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Not just predictions. Santiago also explained the origin of his nickname to Billboard: “It was my family who gave it to me because I was a really big baby. The translation of Bebote is ‘Big Baby’. A friend of my father’s, who was a television journalist, when I scored my first goal in the First Division shouted: ‘Bebote’s goal!’. From that moment on, everyone, not just my family, started calling me that.”

gimenez and san siro

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Mexico will begin their World Cup at the Azteca, a legendary stadium to which Gimenez is very attached. Soon, however, Santi will have to rebuild his relationship with San Siro, where he didn’t do well: “I’ve supported Milan since I was a child and finding myself playing in that stadium means a lot to me – he said -. The fans welcomed me with so much affection and, although I haven’t yet performed as I would have liked, they continue to push me and trust me. I’m like a family”. He scored his last goal there: 23 September, Italian Cup, Milan-Lecce 3-0. Before the difficulties on the pitch, the ankle operation and the disappointment of Allegri, who put his trust in him without being repaid. Since that goal, 260 days have passed.