The Mexico vs Saudi Arabia, CONCACAF Gold Cup 2025 match on 29 June saw a piece of history made, as midfielder Gilberto Mora became the youngest player ever to represent El Tri during his official debut in the quarter-final match at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
Aged just 16 years, nine months, and 14 days, Mora, who plays for Mexican Liga MX side Club Tijuana, started the game against Saudi Arabia as Javier Aguirre’s side chased a semi-final spot in the tournament.
Mora had previously made his unofficial national team bow on 16 January in a friendly match against Brazilian club SC Internacional, making him the youngest player to put on the Mexican jersey.
Now, with Luis Chavez unavailable, manager Aguirre has trusted the youngster in the must-win clash in the Gold Cup, entering his name in the history books.
As per reports, Chavez tore his right anterior cruciate ligament ahead of the match, and has left the national team camp due to his injury, which means Mora can expect to feature more if Mexico progress to the next stages.
With his official debut, Mora broke the record previously held by Luis Perez, who made his national team debut at 17 years and 309 days. The third-youngest player to make his Mexican official debut is Rafael Marquez, who is the current assistant manager for the national team.
Gilberto Mora: Records Broken So Far
Born in 2008, Mora has a number of records to his name. Having broken through from the Club Tijuana academy, the midfielder made his debut for the senior side aged just 15. During his senior debut in August 2024, Mora set up a late goal in the 3-1 win over Santos Laguna, becoming one of the youngest players with a goal contribution in the league.
He then became the youngest Liga MX goal-scorer after netting against Club Leon just two weeks later.
Since then, the youngster has been a vital part of his club side, making 30 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring twice and setting up one more.
