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At the age of 17 years and 240 days, Mora became the youngest Mexican player and the sixth-youngest player overall to make a FIFA World Cup appearance.
Gilberto Mora becomes 6th youngest player to make FIFA World Cup debut. (Picture Credit: AP)
Mexico faced South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday (June 11) and secured a 2-0 victory at Mexico City Stadium. Julian Quiñones scored the opening goal for the hosts, while veteran striker Raúl Jiménez added a second in the 67th minute. However, a minute before Jiménez doubled Mexico’s lead, Gilberto Mora entered the field and, by making his FIFA World Cup debut in front of the home crowd, broke a 96-year-old record.
At the age of 17 years and 240 days, Mora became the youngest Mexican player and the sixth-youngest player overall to make a FIFA World Cup appearance.
The previous record for the youngest Mexican to play in a World Cup belonged to Manuel Rosas, who had held the distinction since the inaugural tournament in Uruguay in 1930.
The overall record for the youngest player to appear in a FIFA World Cup match is held by Northern Ireland’s Norman Whiteside. Whiteside was just 17 years and 41 days old when he made his World Cup debut against Yugoslavia at La Romareda in Zaragoza on June 17, 1982.
Youngest players to make FIFA World Cup debut
| RANK | PLAYER | COUNTRY | OPPOSITION | DATE | AGE OF DEBUT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Norman Whiteside | Northern Ireland | Yugoslavia | 17 June 1982 | 17 years, 41 days |
| 2. | Samuel Eto’o | Cameroon | Italy | 17 June 1998 | 17 years, 99 days |
| 3. | Femi Opabunmi | Nigeria | England | 12 June 2002 | 17 years, 101 days |
| 4. | Salomon Olembé | Cameroon | Austria | 11 June 1998 | 17 years, 185 days |
| 5. | Skin | Brazil | USSR | 15 June 1958 | 17 years, 235 days |
| 6. | Gilberto Mora | Mexico | South Africa | 11 June 2026 | 17 years, 240 days |
| 7. | Bartholomew Ogbeche | Nigeria | Argentina | 2 June 2002 | 17 years, 244 days |
| 8. | Rigobert Song | Cameroon | Sweden | 20 June 1994 | 17 years, 354 days |
| 9. | Youssoufa Moukoko | Germany | Japan | 23 November 2022 | 18 years, 3 days |
| 10. | Carvalho Leite | Brazil | Bolivia | 20 July 1930 | 18 years, 25 days |
On the list of the youngest players to feature in a FIFA World Cup match, Whiteside is followed by Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, Nigeria’s Femi Opabunmi, Cameroon’s Salomon Olembe, and Brazilian legend Pelé.
Who is Gilberto Mora?
Gilberto Mora is a 17-year-old footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Liga MX club Tijuana and the Mexican national team. Since making his international debut in 2025, he has featured in nine matches for Mexico. At the club level, Mora has made 53 appearances for Tijuana across all competitions.
About the Author
Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist with CNN-News18 since July 1, 2024, and covers cricket with a sharp eye for records, trends, and match analysis. Based in Noida, he has reported extensively on the…Read More
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