One of 17-year-old Gilberto Mora's last club games in Mexico, for the time being at least, could be coming up in Juárez, as his Club Tijuana team heads to the Borderland to take on FC Juárez.
The game kicks off at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Estadio Benito Juárez.
Gilberto Mora's status against FC Juarez unknown
Mora's status for the game is unknown and will likely be a game-time decision, as he is battling ankle issues that kept him out of Mexico national team games in the recent international window.
He last played against Colombia on Sept. 20 and missed the following games against Peru, U.S. Soccer and Chile. He is expected to make the trip to Juárez with Tijuana.
Major announcement about Mexico star Gilberto Mora's future expected
Beyond that, his status in general is up in the air, as
the up-and-coming Mexican star turns 18 on Wednesday, Oct. 14, making him eligible to transfer abroad. In fact, a transfer announcement to a major European club has been widely reported to come on Oct. 14, with those reports saying he could sign for a Mexican transfer record of $50 million.
That is part of the reason he is unlikely to play against FC Juárez, which has a record of 1-0-9 (nine losses) and is by far the worst team in the 18-team Liga MX this Apertura season. Tijuana is 4-2-3 and in eighth.
Mora is ready for a European transfer, Mexico national team coach Rafael "Rafa" Marquez said.
"I think Gilberto is very talented and has a bright future ahead of him. He just needs the right guidance. I believe he could fit in with any team," Marquez told ESPN on Tuesday, Oct. 6, when asked whether the 17-year-old is ready for the leap to a high-profile team.
"He has the ability and, above all, the mindset to succeed. So wherever he goes, I'm sure he'll have plenty of opportunities and a great career."
Mora has five goals and one assist in seven Liga MX matches, with six starts.
Tickets to the FC Juraez-Tijuana game are starting at $17 on third-party outlets, indicating the belief is Mora won't play.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Will FC Juarez get one last look at Mexico, Tijuana star Gilberto Mora?
