He can try that rum now.
Gilberto Mora is 18 on Oct. 14, an age that many Mexican teenagers eagerly await as the night they can go out to have their first legal drink of alcohol. But Mora is not a typical Mexican teenager.
There are very few youth in the country who thousands of fans pray will never try a drink, but Mora's interest in the nightlife - or lack thereof - has been a joke among fans since he burst onto the scene at the 2025 Gold Cup.
A woman at an event shouted at then-Mexico manager Javier Aguirre that he should make sure Mora never tries Bacardi, with the coach joking back that Bacardi is a nice drink.
"I saw it," Mora said after the 2025 exchange. "It made me laugh a lot and coach’s reaction also made me laugh, but the good thing
is that I’m focused on what I want.”
What Mora wants, and why he has been counting down to 18, is not a sip of liquor but rather to rake in millions of dollars with a move to a top-level club.
That seems certain now that he can legally move abroad and work. The bigger question is when we'll find out where he goes.
Some fans hoped it would be today, the day he is eligible to move to Europe, that there would be an announcement that he's heading to Europe as soon as the winter window opens. Others are expecting a winter move to be announced after Club Tijuana's current campaign ends in late November or early December. Still others think Xolos will try to keep him as long as possible and sell him in the summer before or after the 2027 Gold Cup.
Whenever it happens, Mora's destiny is at the top level. He is too talented, too versatile, too confident to continue to play in Mexico. A record fee is coming with a Mexican rising star headed to an elite club.
Understandably, that has fans excited about Mora's future, ready to buy a shirt with Arsenal, Real Madrid or Liverpool on the front and his name on the back.
Yet, there has been a constant refrain from those who have been in Mora's shoes: patience.
When will Gilberto Mora move to Europe?
"More than advice for him, I’d have advice for the fans and the press. I don’t think this act of putting the weight or the expectations that we’ll do well on Gilberto Mora is good. The player doesn’t deserve it, not because of his quality, but just because he’s so young," current Mexico assistant coach Andres Guardado told USA TODAY Sportsbefore the 2026 World Cup. Guardado wasn't a star as early as Mora but did play in the World Cup as a teenager and moved to La Liga at age 21.
"I think Gilberto is very talented and has a bright future ahead of him. He just needs the right guidance.," said Mexico manager Rafa Marquez, who headed for the French league when he was 20 and became one of Mexico's most successful exports. "I think he could fit into any team. He’s got the skill and above all the mentality to want to break through. Wherever he may go, I’m sure he can have a lot of opportunities and have a great career."
Indeed, it seems like Mora is taking his time. The three-year extension he signed with Tijuana not only ensured the club where he developed (under the watchful eye of his father, an ex-pro who closed his career on the border) would reap a huge reward when he does move, but also took the pressure off the team to sell him as quickly as possible.
Rumors persist, with nearly every huge club in the world linked with a move for the Chiapas-born, Tijuana-raised youngster.
And it's fun for fans to dream about that jersey, about seeing Mora skipping down the touchline in the UEFA Champions League or fighting for a title in England or Spain.
But Mora must make sure he doesn't simply go after the biggest number now, but rather finds the right fit.
How can Gilberto Mora guarantee long-term success abroad?
Mora is a more talented player and already has accomplished more than some of the cautionary tales of hyped Mexican players who went to Europe and fell flat.
Yet, whether it be Ulises Davila and his years of service in Chelsea's loan army, Uriel Antuna signing for Manchester City but ending up on a youth side in the Netherlands or Diego Lainez heading to Real Betis and Braga but struggling to click and returning to Liga MX, there are plenty of cautionary tales.
Some of those stories ended up the way they did because of a simple shortcoming: The level of competition was too high for their talent.
That won't be the case for Mora, but the biggest club is not always the best decision. Plenty has changed about the way the sport works since those days (or even since now 20-year-old social-media sensation Alex Alcalá signed with Man City in 2024 - he now is in a reserve role with Queretaro). But one thing has not: Playing meaningful minutes as young as possible is the best way to prepare for future success at the club level and to be best-prepared for the Mexico national team.
Mora wouldn't start in January at many of the clubs he's being linked with. That's OK, but there must be a clear plan about how he'll be utilized, where the minutes will come and when he is expected to be on the biggest stage.
For now, fans can continue to enjoy Mora on home soil and dream about what's to come. And Mora can probably go ahead and have that one little sip of Bacardi - or save it to celebrate on the day he signs that first European contract.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gilberto Mora birthday: Patience still a virtue as Mexico national team star turns 18
