Gilberto Mora: Why Mexico's record-breaking Andres Iniesta regen is on the radar of Man City, Barcelona & Real Madrid

Mora was born on October 14, 2008, in the Mexican city of Tuxtla Gutierrez, and football has always been in his blood. His father, Gilberto Mora Olayo, played professionaly for Mexican clubs Toluca, Jaguares and Puebla, and is now the current coach of Club Tijuana's reserve team, a role he initially took up in 2022. 

Tijuana drafted Mora into their youth ranks early, and it soon became clear that he had the potential not only to emulate his father, but also to eclipse him entirely. He started playing for the U19s by the time he was just 14, and caught the eye of first-team manager Juan Carlos Osorio with his electrifying performances.

Osario invited Mora to train with the senior squad, and in the space of just a few weeks, he did enough to convince the coach he was worthy of a spot in Tijuana's squad for the 2024-25 campaign. He was left out of the first four games of the season, but then stepped off the bench for his debut in a Liga MX Apertura encounter against Santos Laguna at the tender age of 15 years and 10 days.

That made Mora the youngest player in Tijuana's entire history, and he also broke the record for the youngest to ever provide an assist in Liga MX, feeding Jaime Alvarez to seal a 3-1 home victory in stoppage time. In that moment, the Estadio Caliente faithful welcomed a new hero into their hearts.

Just 12 days after making his bow, Mora was handed his first start for Tijuana against Leon, and marked the occasion in spectacular style. The Mexican ace, who was also captaining his country's U17 team at the time, scored the decisive goal to give Tijuana a 2-1 victory in the 65th minute, calmly controlling a loose ball in the box before firing low past the goalkeeper.

That made Mora the youngest Liga MX goal-scorer of all time, beating the previous record held by Yael Padilla of Chivas by two years. He would go on to feature in 24 more league games for Tijuana before the end of the campaign, netting another winning goal in an Apertura encounter against Monterrey along the way.

On January 16, Mora also appeared in his first senior game for Mexico, in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Internacional. Mora didn't write another chapter in the history books because that was an unofficial contest, but it paved the way for him to do so six months later at the Gold Cup.

Aguirre named Mora in his official 26-man squad for the tournament, and he became the youngest Mexico debutant ever at 16 years and 257 days when lining up against Saudi Arabia in the quarter-finals, replacing the injured Luis Chavez on the left of a midfield three. Mora played 73 minutes as El Tri ran out 2-0 winners, and Aguirre was delighted by the youngster's impact: "He wasn't scared, he has talent with the ball. He sees football differently.

Mora was subsequently switched to the right side in the last-four clash with Honduras, but showed the same fearlessness in a much tighter game. In the 50th minute, he latched onto a pass some 20 yards from goal, dancing past one defender with ease before playing a perfectly weighted pass to Jimenez, who then produced a first-time finish that ultimately gave Mexico a 1-0 victory and a final berth against the United States.

Mora retained his place for the showpiece event, and played a key role in Mexico's stunning 2-1 victory over the arch rivals. Jimenez and Edson Alvarez grabbed the goals to cancel out Chris Richards' early opener for the U.S., but it was Mora who kept things ticking over in midfield as he posted a 93 percent pass completion rate, with no nerves creeping into his game on the biggest stage.

That triumph saw Mora overtake Spain's Euro 2024 hero Lamine Yamal as the youngest player ever to win a senior national-team title. Whether or not Mora can go on to reach the same level as the Barcelona wonderkid remains to be seen, but the foundations are in place, and he also has the advantage of a strong support network, which includes Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez. 

"Mora blew us all away at 16, I think he was one of the best players in the cup," Gimenez said after the tournament. "He's a very focused kid, who knows what he wants. I want to be an example for him and I also want to instruct him because I know his dream is to reach Europe."

That dream is likely to become a reality sooner rather than later if Mora stays on his current trajectory. The Tijuana star has also made a superb start to the new club season, now working under Uruguay legend Sebastian Abreu, who replaced Osorio at the helm in March.

Mora was selected for the MLS All-Star Game, and scored the only goal for Liga MX in a 3-1 defeat, while dazzling with his quick feet and composure. "Mexico has a gem here, it’s not normal to see a player like that, he is an exceptional player," Liga MX All-Stars manager Andre Jardine exclaimed.

That is one of six goals Mora has scored in August, with the youngster also netting braces for Tijuana in a Leagues Cup tie against the LA Galaxy and in the 3-3 draw with Chivas in Liga MX. Jardine was right: Mora is "not normal", and nor is the fact that Tijuana are already relying on him as their primary source of inspiration.

Mora is an elusive winger/attacking midfielder who dribbles with a low centre of gravity and always keeps close control of the ball. He is capable of gliding past multiple defenders under pressure, and also has a deep box of tricks to pull from, which makes him thrilling to watch because you never know what he is going to do next.

From a technical standpoint, Mora is miles ahead of most players around his age as a two-footed maestro with a high footballing IQ. The Mexico international can flip from an orchestrator to a creator or ultimate difference-maker in the blink of an eye, possessing the accuracy to fire in shots from any angle. 

His versatility and powers of anticipation are also invaluable, but Aguirre believes that Mora's "biggest strength" is often overlooked. "What I like most about him is that he never shies away or pulls out of tackles," the Mexican coach said at the Gold Cup. "He can be on the receiving end of a couple of robust challenges and he keeps showing for the ball."

Aguirre, though, acknowledges that Mora still has much maturing to do physically, describing his skinny 5'5" frame as "boyish". He wants the Tijuana star to "bulk up" so that he can potentially win more of the duels that he bravely seeks out.

But the main area for Mora to improve is in the decision-making department. There are times when he will go for glory or a Hollywood pass when a better, simpler option is available in the final third. Mora's enthusiasm can get the better of him in those situations, but that's par for the course at his age and something he will learn to control as he gains more experience. 

Defensively, Mora is not always the most disciplined either, and that is something he will need to work on to succeed in one of Europe's major leagues. Fortunately, time is very much on his side a month or so out from his 17th birthday.

“These days, in a high-level match, players average about 700 full 360-degree turns per game. Gilberto reminded me a lot of [Andres] Iniesta," former Tijuana boss Osorio said in a recent interview with Jorge Ramos y su Banda. "What stood out most to me was his turning controls; with a single movement, he could turn and control the ball."

Indeed, that ability to change direction quickly was one of the hallmarks of Iniesta's illustrious career. The Barcelona and Spain maestro could find and exploit gaps anywhere on the pitch with the ball permanently stuck to his foot, and had a natural elegance that made all of his hard work look effortless.

As Osorio has shrewdly observed, Mora is indeed cut from the same cloth. He's agile, clever, and has the confidence to demand the ball constantly. The Mexican sensation's end product doesn't quite match up to Iniesta's yet, but he does also have his eye for goal and incisive through balls, along with the fierce competitive nature that kept the Barca legend at the top of the game for so long.

It would be another huge coup for City if they were to agree a deal for Mora in the near future, after their successful capture of U.S. prospect Cavan Sullivan, but Osorio has suggested he'd be better off choosing Spain over England. "La Liga would suit Gilberto perfectly, it’s more technical than physical," he has said.

That does not mean that Mora will be following in Iniesta's footsteps at Barcelona, though. According to Tijuana's head of youth development, Ignacio Ruvalcaba, the teenage forward has his heart set on a future switch to Santiago Bernabeu.

"He has a dream, which is to play for Real Madrid, but he keeps his feet on the ground. He always watches football and loves watching Real Madrid, he certainly sees himself playing there," Ruvalcaba told ESPN in July. If that wish comes to fruition, Mora would emulate Mexico icon Hugo Sanchez, as well as the country's all-time top goal-scorer, Javier 'Chicarito' Hernandez, in representing Los Blancos.

Mora spoke out about his future after being called up to the Mexico squad for the first time, saying: “I’d absolutely love to represent my country here on home soil at the 2026 World Cup. I also aspire to play in Europe and win lots of silverware.” There is no better place to achieve that second goal than at Real Madrid.

If he books a seat on the plane to the World Cup and makes a big impression, Madrid could potentially sign Mora as an 18-year-old in January 2027. That doesn't feel unrealistic for a player who has already broken so many records to become Mexico's new great hope.