17-Year-Old Mexican Prodigy Mora: "South Korea is Strong, but We Will Play to Win"

Ahead of Mexico's second group stage match against South Korea in the 2026 World Cup, Mexico's 17-year-old prodigy Gilberto Mora (Tijuana) expressed caution regarding South Korea while showing strong determination to win.

Speaking to reporters ahead of training at a facility in Zapopan near Guadalajara, Mexico, on Thursday (KST), Mora said, "I know South Korea is a strong team with very high quality," adding, "They are an excellent team with great players across all areas, including the midfield, attack, and defense."

He continued, "But we will play to win, and we will try to show our own style of football that we do well and secure the three points."

Born in October 2008, the attacking midfielder Mora is currently the most highly anticipated prospect among Mexican football fans.

In his home country, he is even referred to as the "Mexican Lionel Messi."

He is praised for both his individual skills and football intelligence, and he possesses the versatility to play as a winger as well.

Debuting and standing out in the senior national team at a young age, his career trajectory mirrors that of South Korea's key player, Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain).

When asked about facing Lee Kang-in, Mora praised him, saying, "Lee Kang-in is a great player who proves his immense ability in every match." He added, "I am happy to face a player who has followed a similar path at a young age. I want to show my best on the pitch tomorrow and have a great match."

At his club Tijuana, he has been playing professionally since 2024, before even turning 16, earning recognition for his talent early on.

In the first group stage match against South Africa, Mora came on in the 21st minute of the second half to replace Alvaro Fidalgo (Real Betis), setting a record as the youngest Mexican player ever to play in a World Cup at 17 years and 240 days old.

This is also a remarkable record, ranking as the sixth-youngest debut in World Cup history.

With the fifth-youngest player in history being Brazilian legend Pelé (17 years and 235 days), Mora has firmly etched his name in the minds of football fans worldwide from his very first World Cup stage.

Following his successful debut, Mora confidently said, "I felt very good physically while playing as a substitute. I always like to enter the game, feel the flow, enjoy it, and make a small contribution to the team, and I think I did that job well."

Registered as the youngest player among all 48 participating nations in this tournament and having already made an appearance, there are speculations that he might start in the second Group A match against South Korea, which will be held at Guadalajara Stadium at 10 a.m. on June 19.

Local media, including the Mexican edition of Marca, predicted that Mora could be a surprise starter against South Korea instead of Brian Gutierrez (Guadalajara), who started in the attacking midfield line in the first match against South Africa.

Mora, who is highly anticipating his appearance, expressed his determination, saying, "We are armed only with the mentality to win. We are only thinking about winning to prove our football and show that we can achieve great things."

Meanwhile, Raul Rangel, who is competing for the starting goalkeeper position with veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa (40, Limassol), showed confidence while remaining cautious, saying, "Our national team has shown that we can compete with any opponent. We proved this against world-class powerhouses like Belgium and Portugal."

Indeed, Mexico drew 1-1 and 0-0 in friendly matches against Belgium and Portugal, respectively, in March ahead of the World Cup kickoff.

Rangel emphasized, "It has been proven multiple times that there are no easy opponents in the World Cup. Any team can emerge as a 'dark horse' and cause an upset. Just because we are the host nation, we should not be overly confident. We must focus on the game every minute and every second."

He added, "The fact that I am competing for the starting spot with a great player like Ochoa makes me grow. Thanks to that, I can never let my guard down."

Rangel, born in 2000, who has been playing for the national team since 2024 and recently served as the starter, started ahead of Ochoa in Mexico's opening match, keeping a clean sheet to secure the team's victory.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.