Gilberto Mora Sparks Major Worry in Mexico National Team Camp

El Tri have World Cup warm-up games against Panama and Bolivia in January.

Gilberto Mora is already one of Mexico’s best players. | Hector Vivas/FIFA/Getty Images

On the eve of the Mexico national team’s 2026 debut, alarms were raised after teenage sensation Gilberto Mora withdrew from El Tri’s January camp due to physical discomforts that have hindered him since the start of the year.

Javier Aguirre’s 27-man roster reported to El Tri’s camp earlier in the week to prepare for upcoming away clashes against Panama and Bolivia. During the routine medical checks every player must undergo upon arrival, Mexico’s medical staff determined 17-year-old Mora wasn’t fit to travel with the team.

“Gilberto Mora will be withdrawn from the camp,” the national team said in a statement. “The decision is based on the physical discomforts the player has been presenting since the start of the Liga MX season.”

“In coordination with his club [Tijuana], it was determined that the player should continue his treatment and recovery process under the club’s supervision.”

After playing 88 minutes in Tijuana’s Clausura 2026 debut, Mora was an unused substitute against Querétearo and managed only 45 minutes in last weekend’s clash vs. Atlético San Luis.

Club América midfielder Alexis Gutiérrez will take Mora’s place in El Tri’s roster, but the teenager’s health status will remain a major focus for Aguirre’s staff in the coming weeks, especially given it appears he’s dealing with more than just physical discomforts.

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Gilberto Mora Reportedly Dealing With Dangerous Injury

Gilberto Mora has been heavily taxed in recent months. | Luis Cano/Jam Media/Getty Images

In the hours following Mora’s withdrawal from Mexico’s camp, Claro Sports reported that Mora is battling Pubalgia, an injury to the groin and pubic area that’s the result of muscular overload. The injury has hindered some of the top young players in the world this season, including Lamine Yamal, Cole Palmer, Nico Williams and Franco Mastantuono.

Between the Leagues Cup, Liga MX, international friendlies and the FIFA U-20 World Cup, Mora has played 27 games since the start of the 2025–26 term and close to 1,500 minutes. The demanding calendar is taxing on every player, but even more for ones who are still developing physically like Mora, who only just turned 17 back in October.

Mora reportedly started battling the issue during Tijuana’s short winter preseason but was able to recover in time to be on the pitch at the start of the Clausura 2026 season. The injury has now resurfaced, per the report.

The recovery timeline from Pubalgia varies depending on the player’s evolution, but the danger is that if it’s not treated carefully, Mora could be sidelined for up to two months, according to MARCA, and the issue could become chronic to the point where surgery is required.

With Mexico’s World Cup debut less than six months away, an extremely cautious treatment is the expected approach to have Mora ready for the tournament. The teenager—widely considered as the best talent Mexico has produced in over a decade—is a lock in Aguirre’s World Cup roster and has become one of El Tri’s biggest difference-makers over the past seven months.

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