Analysis of Gilberto Mora, Mexico’s 16-year-old wonderkid who broke a Lamine Yamal record on Sunday: With Lamine Yamal’s incredible ascent over the past 12 months, it’s easy to become a little indifferent to the young age at which game-changing football players are effortlessly ascending to the top of the scene.

 

Mexico may have discovered the next one in Gilberto Mora. The adolescent had not yet played a single minute of senior football at this time last summer. However, Mora has made three starts for his nation in the past week, tip-tapping between flailing legs with the ball at his feet. His confidence and dribbling skills completely defy his age. He helped Mexico advance to the Gold Cup final on Thursday by providing a vital assist to centre striker Raul Jimenez, who is more than twice his age. Three days later, he played 75 minutes as Javier Aguirre’s team defeated the United States 2-1, surpassing both Yamal and the legendary Pele to become the youngest player to win an international title.Mora’s baby-faced excitement is so comically out of place with some of the venerable veterans he was dashing around that it’s difficult not to sit up and notice him. However, he displayed maturity and experience beyond his years in his performances over the past week, even in a new midfield role. With stadiums that are a riot of colour and noise, Mexico is a great place to play football. With his touch-tight control and ability to whip up a crowd with nutmegs, drag-backs, twists, and shoots from all over the pitch, Mora’s free-spirited style of play has found a natural home there.

 

Given his chance to play for the first team when the club provided him a scholarship to attend a nearby school, nearly 4,000 kilometres from his hometown of Tuxtla Gutierrez in the south-west, his breakthrough season with Tijuana has captivated the public’s attention. In August 2024, he made his Liga MX debut at the age of 15, bouncing around in a loose-fitting black shirt with the number 251 on his back. However, Mora’s quick turn left opposition midfielder Salvador Mariscal behind, and he then slid towards the halfway line and slipped it through to Jaime Alvarez to score just 20 minutes after his arrival.