Gilberto Mora will once again be forced to watch as Mexico faces Chile in a friendly on Tuesday, Oct. 6.
The 17-year-old midfielder has returned to Club Tijuana with an ankle injury, making him ineligible to play as El Tri continues searching for its first win under new manager Rafa Marquez.
Mora only managed to play once in the extended four-game international window, scoring his first-ever international goal in Mexico's 1-1 draw with Colombia.
From there, the teenage star's ankle issues flared up, forcing him out of a 1-1 draw with Peru and a 3-0 defeat to the United States.
Marquez said prior to the U.S. game that he expected Mora to play but on Monday, Oct. 5, the Mexico coach said that a recurring ankle issue returned after he spoke to the media.
“He is still experiencing some discomfort. The pre-match press conference obviously took place before the training session. During that session – after the press conference – he ended up feeling discomfort as well,” Marquez said.
“He has been dealing with this discomfort for some time, not just recently, but for weeks prior, even before he joined us with the national team,” he added.
Marquez added that priority is to look after Mora, who has emerged as one of Mexico's brightest prospects in years.
The 17-year-old has already set a number of records early in his national team career, becoming Mexico's youngest player ever when he debuted at age 16 in January 2025. Six months later, he would start the Gold Cup final as Mexico defeated the United States.
Mora was the youngest player at the 2026 World Cup and started both of El Tri's knockout round games. In the process, he became the youngest player to start a World Cup knockout game since Pelé in 1958.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is Gilberto Mora not playing for Mexico vs Chile tonight?
