Gilberto Mora is on track to be the breakout star of the 2026 World Cup as Mexico look to have a true wonderkid on their hands.

At just 17, he is already making waves. That includes becoming Mexico’s youngest ever starter at a World Cup and the second-youngest in history behind Pele to start a knockout game.

His burgeoning career is there for all to see; he was eye-catching in the knockout victory over Ecuador and the attacking midfielder clearly possesses a wealth of talent that is already translating to the big stage.

A horde of elite clubs in Europe are already eyeing a deal; having recently signed a new deal to keep him in Mexico until 2029, a reported release clause of €20million will spark considerable interest, but they will all have to wait until he turns 18 in October before any official deal can be struck.

Gilberto Mora’s Position & Style of Play

REUTERS/Pedro Nunes

A right-footed attacking midfielder, Mora boasts all the traits that you would expect from a diminutive, creative player coupled with all the grit and desire that his country have displayed at the 2026 World Cup.

Interestingly, his heat maps from the U20 World Championships and Liga MX campaign illustrate someone who operates in the half spaces on the left of midfield. He has shown an ability to do so on either flank, but he often drifts inside, especially from the left, just as he did against Ecuador early in the game as he fired a wicked shot just past the post after cutting in.

At club level, he has been gifted the freedom to drift from central attacking areas to out onto the left and that same freedom was afforded in Javier Aguirre’s team, as his heat maps showcase a wide range of movement all over the pitch. Hailed by pundits and his club’s owner, he has already made a grand impression.

Former Mexican international and now FOX pundit, Alberto García Aspe, spoke after the Czech Republic game saying: “We kept saying we wanted to see more of him, and the truth is he proved he’s a star. The pass for the second goal was impressive.”

And he was hailed by the Club Tijuana owner Alberto when speaking to the Athletic:

Gilberto Mora’s Stats (Liga MX 2025/26)

Despite his age, he has already racked up 53 appearances for Club Tijuana. Across that time, he’s recorded 10 goals and three assists, featuring heavily in the first-half of the 2025/26 Liga MX Apertura campaign. However, he failed to feature much in the Clausura Liga MX part of the season due to physical overload and suffering pubalgia — the same ailment that troubled Lamine Yamal last season.

Yet, his figures in Liga MX demonstrate his quality. Clear figures such as six goals in 20 Apertura league appearances are the eye-catching numbers, but looking deeper, it illustrates a more unique profile. Not only did he outperform his expected goals by 1.38, his goal conversion rate was a clinical 23 per cent.

On top of that, he was fouled nearly two times per game, and recorded 88% passing accuracy in the Apertura with 18.9 passes per game that also included 0.9 key passes per game. Capable on the ball, his figures reflect his strong profile as an attacking midfielder that leaves plenty of room to grow and develop even further.

Whilst it is a very small sample size, his World Cup figures across three games (South Africa, the Czech Republic and Ecuador) are hugely encouraging — his key passes have risen from 0.9 per game in the Apertura to 1.3 at the World Cup, his passing accuracy grew from 88% to 90% despite the significant jump in opposition quality, and he is producing a higher long ball percentage and more successful dribbles. Illustrating how he has risen to the level.

*Figures from SofaScore

Who is Gilberto Mora similar to?

REUTERS/Raquel Cunha via Action Images

With his size and frame and creative ability, there are a number of past and current players he can be compared to. One comparison already made by ESPN Liga MX pundit Sebastian Abreu is that he resembles former Argentina attacker Pablo Aimar.

Furthermore, he suggested that if he continued on his current trajectory that he could match Luka Modrić‘s career, high praise indeed, but there is certainly a high ceiling for Mora to aspire to.

Andy Murray. Novak Djokovic. Rafael Nadal. Roger Federer. Four players who defined men’s tennis throughout the 21st century. They have amassed more than 300 career titles between them, including an incredible 69 Grand Slam crowns since the 2003 Australian Open.

Just three of those major titles belong to Murray, who can arguably count himself unfortunate to have competed in the same era as the other three, particularly Nadal and Federer. The Scot also had the difficult task of facing both players on their strongest surfaces – Nadal on clay and Federer on grass.

The rivalries shared between the quartet are widely regarded as some of the finest the sport has ever seen. In total, they faced one another 235 times, with 74 of those contests coming at Grand Slam tournaments. Their meetings included 33 Grand Slam finals and 26 semi-finals, more than any other group of four players in tennis history.

Murray eventually finished his career with three Grand Slam trophies to his name, lifting the US Open once and Wimbledon twice. However, he was frequently stopped in the latter stages of major tournaments by Federer and Nadal, and it’s reasonable to believe he would have collected significantly more titles had he not played during such a remarkable era.

Andy Murray’s Rivalry With Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal

Although Federer and Nadal enjoyed an evenly matched rivalry, Murray found it much harder to consistently challenge either player. He faced Nadal nine times on clay and managed just two victories, with both wins coming at the Madrid Open.

His head-to-head record against Federer on grass compares more favourably, although the pair only met three times on the surface. Murray claimed victory once, while Federer won the other two encounters.

Federer came out on top in their biggest meeting on grass, defeating Murray in the 2012 Wimbledon final to lift the championship. Murray gained revenge only a few months, though, later by beating the Swiss star in the gold medal match at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Their final meeting on grass arrived in the 2015 Wimbledon semi-finals. Federer defeated Murray in four sets before falling to Djokovic in the championship match.

Nadal earned the nickname ‘King of Clay’ after winning the French Open an extraordinary 14 times, accounting for more than half of his overall Grand Slam haul. Federer, meanwhile, established himself as the dominant force on Wimbledon’s grass courts, claiming eight singles titles, including five consecutive championships from 2003 to 2007.

Andy Murray’s Verdict on Federer on Grass vs Nadal on Clay

When asked whether facing Nadal on clay or Federer on grass represented the greater challenge, Murray gave a clear answer.

Interestingly, Nadal and Federer once played an exhibition match in 2007 on a specially designed court featuring clay on one side and grass on the other. Nadal edged the contest in a dramatic 12-10 tie-break, adding further weight to Murray’s view that the Spaniard was the tougher opponent on his preferred surface.

Iran have made their feelings very clear with a strongly worded handwritten note following their World Cup exit. It is the third letter they’ve left across the pond, but while the previous two appeared well-natured, focussing on the positives of a tournament shrouded in controversy, Team Melli have now ditched that blissfully ignorant (or accepting) approach.

Amir Ghalenoei’s side drew all three of their Group G matches and finished as the ninth-best third-place team, with only the top eight advancing to the knockout stage. But issues surrounding their admirable efforts to make history and progress from the group stages for the first time undoubtedly played a role in them falling short of that milestone.

Geopolitical tensions undoubtedly contributed to the emotional strain on players and staff, many of whom left behind a homeland caught up in conflict involving the United States and Israel. Those challenges were compounded by logistical issues. Due to Donald Trump’s strict visa policies, Iran were required to travel more than any other team during the group stage, only being permitted to enter the US on the night before matches, with them immediately returning to their training base in Mexico afterwards.

Iran’s Final Handwritten Note is Their Most Honest Yet

Daniel Cole via Reuters

Days after leaving a shorter note to thank Los Angeles for hosting their clash with Belgium, Iran paid tribute to Mexico for taking them in at short notice. But they also complained that they were not fighting on a level playing field with other teams. The note, which was handwritten in black pen, read: “To the noble people of Mexico and the beautiful city of Tijuana, thank you! You showed us that hosting a FIFA World Cup is about far more than stadiums and tickets. True hosting is about respect, humanity and dignity.

“We will never forget the kindness of the people of Tijuana. From this day forward, Mexico will always be more than a host nation to us; it will be our second home and our second team.

It continued: “We leave Tijuana believing that football fans around the world witnessed not only the hardship endured by Iranian football, but also the resilience of a nation that refused to trade its dignity, horror, and values despite every challenge.

“And we will never forget that those who celebrated Iran’s elimination were the same people who had previously celebrated the suffering and loss of innocent Iranian lives. That alone reveals the difference in how humanity is understood.

“World Cups come to an end. Administrators change, but civilisations such as Iran, Egypt and Mexico – built upon truth, respect, and human dignity – endure through history. Match results become part of football history. The honour of nations becomes part of human history. With respect, Iranian National Team.”

Algeria 3-3 Austria Controversy That Denied Iran Qualification

Iran’s World Cup dream ended in dramatic and controversial fashion in the final Group J match between Algeria and Austria. Team Melli needed either side to win in Kansas City, with a draw enough to send both nations through at Iran’s expense. For long periods, that is exactly how the game appeared to be playing out, with neither side showing much urgency to break the deadlock despite a six-goal thriller unfolding.

The controversy centred on the knockout bracket. Had Algeria won the match, they would have leapfrogged Austria into second and been rewarded with a significantly tougher route through the tournament, starting with Euro 2024 winners Spain.

Finishing second, meanwhile, offered what many viewed as a more difficult path. As a result, some Iranian supporters questioned whether both teams were content with a draw once they realised the implications.

Those suspicions only intensified in stoppage time. Riyad Mahrez appeared to have ruined the script when he fired Algeria into a 3-2 lead in the 93rd minute, a goal that would have sent Iran through and forced Algeria onto the more difficult side of the bracket. Television pictures appeared to show some of his teammates reacting with frustration rather than celebration, before Austria equalised just three minutes later through Sasa Kalajdzic, bringing about speculation of ‘match-fixing’.