Gilberto Mora: The future of Mexican football arrives just in time for the 2026 World Cup

Nieuws

Between 2021 and 2024, the best way to describe the mood around Mexico's national team was "doom and gloom".

El Tri were eliminated from the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, finishing third in a group that contained Argentina, Poland and Saudi Arabia, ending a run of seven consecutive last-16 appearances.

Diego Cocca, appointed in the aftermath of Qatar, lasted just a few months in the role before a sorry 3-0 CONCACAF Nations League semi-final defeat to the United States cost him his job.

His successor, Jaime Lozano, didn't last long either, knocked out in the group stage of the 2024 Copa America after defeat to Venezuela and a goalless draw with Ecuador.

With the 2026 World Cup at home, the Mexican FA decided to take no further risks and appointed the veteran Javier Aguirre as head coach, on the premise that a firm, familiar hand would steady the ship, as the 66-year-old had done before in other moments of crisis in 2001 and 2009.

So far, "El Vasco" (The Basque) has done just that. With a sober, no-frills style, Mexico reclaimed the Nations League and Gold Cup titles in 2025, wrestLing regional control back from the United States. After the September international break, El Tri had lost only two of 17 matches under their new manager and were on a nine-game unbeaten run.

Yet while the former Atletico Madrid coach has added a bit of stability back to the team, nobody has done more to raise the spirits of Mexican football fans than Gil Mora, the most exciting talent the country has produced in years.

Born on October 14, 2008, Mora has not stopped breaking records since his Liga MX debut in August 2024. When he came off the bench for Tijuana against Santos Laguna at the age of 15 years and 308 days, he became the third-youngest player ever to play in the league; 12 days later, he became the youngest starter and youngest goalscorer in the league's history.

In January this year, Aguirre surprised many by calling Mora up for an unofficial tour of South America with El Tri, and shocked them even more by considering him for the 2025 Gold Cup squad in the summer.

The plan had been to take him along for experience and give him a few minutes in the tournament, but his training performances were so impressive that the manager took the risky decision of throwing him into the action. Mora started the quarter-final against Saudi Arabia and, at 16 years and eight months, became Mexico's youngest-ever senior international.

Mora seized his chance in the 2-0 victory and kept his place for the remainder of the tournament, which ended with Mexico defeating the United States 2-1 - their first competitive win over them in six years - restoring Mexico's status as the region's heavyweights over their arch-rivals. The title also made the playmaker the youngest player to ever win an international trophy anywhere in the world.

Young prodigies usually stand out for their pace and dribbling, but Mora is slightly different. Standing at just 5ft 5in tall - albeit with some growth left in him - the midfielder is distinguished by his intelligence, positional sense, and ability to find team-mates in dangerous areas.

His style is closer to Andres Iniesta or Mesut Ozil than to traditional Latin American playmakers.

After the Gold Cup triumph, Mora announced on social media that he had signed with renowned international agent Raffaela Pimenta.

That move was part of a plan devised by his father Gilberto Senior, a former professional himself, and Tijuana owner Jorge Hank to make the youngster the most expensive sale in Liga MX history. That will have to wait until he turns 18 in October next year, as required by FIFA regulations, but a lucrative move to Europe feels inevitable.

In the meantime, there are plenty of challenges for him to take on. In the Under-20 World Cup, which concluded on October 19, he was tasked with carrying the team's hopes on his shoulders - particularly shining with a brace against Spain in the group stage - despite being one of the youngest members of the squad.

Usually when a player has established himself in the senior team they stay there, but Aguirre, who makes the decisions on selection rather than the youth coaches, saw merit in giving the prodigious talent tournament experience.

Indeed, El Vasco could even send Mora to the upcoming U17 World Cup in Qatar as well, although at the time of writing that is still to be decided.

Whatever the decision, it will be taken with a view to putting Mora in the best possible position for the 2026 World Cup on Mexican soil, where he is likely to become the sixth-youngest player ever to take part in the tournament.

To say he will carry a nation's hopes may be a touch exaggerated, but there is no doubt that he has played a massive role in shaking supporters out of their pessimism. If nothing else, they have a hero to root for, a story to believe in. Hopefully he can live with the pressure.

Words by Martin del Palacio Langer.

Editor's note: Mora was not called up to the Under-17 World Cup squad.