Mexico was eliminated from the U20 FIFA World Cup.
A tough pill to swallow for Mexico’s fans.
However, there were several names that exhibited plenty of potential on the pitch.
Though there is still plenty of work to be done, these players showed a promising future for the next generation of Mexico’s international squad.
Embed from Getty ImagesLight At The End Of The Tunnel
One such player is 17-year-old Gilberto Mora from Club Tijuana, who celebrated a birthday not too long ago.
Mora had a standout tournament with a total of 5 gol contributions in 5 matches.
He was impactful in each game though Mexico were not able to convert in the final match against Argentina.
An assist against Brazil, two gols against Spain, another gol against Morocco, and an assist against Chile. Pretty solid tournament for a teenager whose name was already generating a lot of buzz.
Embed from Getty ImagesMay He Never Stray
So much is the buzz that Mexican podcasters and commentators are already calling him the future of Mexican football.
Podcasters were jokingly asking other players that had ruined their carrer due to excessive partying and surrounding themselves with other, less than desirable individuals to stay far away from him.
Saying that he should listen to his father and go to mass every Sunday then straight to the training grounds.
When popular Latin American female pop stars and female footballers followed his Instagram account the podcasters jokingly asked Mora’s parents to take away his phone.
Saying such a young lad shouldn’t even be on social media.
A Wonderful Talent
At such a young age he already displayed so much confidence when on the ball. Mora showed so much technical skill and wasn’t afraid to hold the ball when needed.
He is wonderfully talented and a hard worker.
Embed from Getty ImagesA large topic of conversation surrounding Mora was whether he would play in the U17 or U20 World Cup.
Since both tournaments would be happening back-to-back, he would only be available to play in one.
Afterwards, all roads would point to FIFA’s 2026 World Cup tournament, where Gilberto looks certain to play a central role.
Forged In Mexican Football
So what makes this young player so special?
At the age of six, Gilberto moved from Tuxtla Gutierrez, in the state of Chiapas, to Tijuana. It was here at the age of 10 that he would go on to join the youth club in Tijuana. He would be described as one of the most outstanding players in the lower divisions of the team.
Only a few weeks after training with the first team, Tijuana’s head coach, Juan Carlos Osorio, decided to add Mora to the squad for the 2024/2025 season.
Mora made his debut in the Liga MX, Mexico’s first division men’s league, at 15 years and 308 days old. This made him Tijuana’s youngest ever player to grace the pitch.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn that same game against Club Santos Laguna, after being subbed in at the 72nd minute, he would become the league’s youngest-ever player to provide an assist.
Several days later, on the 31st of August, 2024, he would score his first gol, helping Tijuana in a 2-1 victory over Leon.
Embed from Getty ImagesThat gol would make Mora the youngest ever player to score in the league at 15 years and 320 days old.
Since debuting with Tijuana in the 2024/2025 season, he has had 41 appearances, with 9 gol contributions.
La Seleccion
Because of his fantastic form Mora would be called up to the national team soon thereafter.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe would go on to become the youngest player to feature in the main Mexican international squad in January 2025. He started in the quarter-final of the Gold Cup against Saudi Arabia, where he played 73 minutes in a dominant 2-0 win.
Mora would then go on to be named man of the match in the Gold Cup semi-final against Honduras, where he provided Raúl Jiménez with an assist for the only gol.
Mora would play 75 minutes in the Gold Cup final against the USA. He demonstrated great spatial awareness and ended the match with a 94% pass accuracy.
The match would end 2-1 in favor of Mexico.
The US would take an early lead with Chris Richards’ gol. Mexico however, would ultimately take the trophy with gols from Edson Álvarez and Raúl Jiménez.
At the age of 16 years and 265 days old, Mora won his first international trophy, effectively breaking spanish international, Lamine Yamal’s record of 17 years and 1 day old.
Embed from Getty ImagesAn impressive array of achievements at such a young age is no small feat, and Gilberto’s football career has only just begun.
The Future Ahead
A move to Europe seems to be a guarantee for young Gilberto. His name is already generating plenty of buzz among European giants.
It’s been noted that Manchester United and Barcelona are watching the player closely.
Embed from Getty ImagesThese two are just some of the major clubs in Europe that are looking to bolster their teams with the Mexican striker.
Embed from Getty ImagesRumor has it both the Red Devils and the Blaugranas are gearing up to make a potential offer for the young Mexican international.
Los Galacticos
The rumor mill never stops and it’s even said Real Madrid has shown interest in the young striker.
Joining Real Madrid would be a dream come true for the Tijuana striker as it would be following in the footsteps of his idol Cristiano Ronaldo.
Embed from Getty ImagesTheir is a strong precedent for Gilberto joining Real Madrid as their have been Mexican born strikers at the Bernabeu.
The likes of Hugo Sanchez and Javier Hernandez have both played for Real Madrid in different eras of football.
Embed from Getty ImagesWherever Gilberto decides to go there is no doubt he will shine.
So long as he plays with all the passion he has demonstrated so far the future ahead is bright.