The official list of the Mexico national team for the CONCACAF U20 Championship generated questions after confirming the absence of young Gilberto Mora. The U20 coach, Alex Diego, held a press conference after the delivery of the definitive list and took the opportunity to clarify the reasons for the exclusion of the midfielder from the Xolos de Tijuana, who was the sensation of the national team in the FIFA World Cup 2026.
What happened to Gilberto Mora?
The 17-year-old young man was the great bet of Javier Aguirre for the ecumenical tournament at the time of including him in the definitive list of 26 players. As he has been doing every time he plays, Gilberto Mora did not disappoint his strategist and performed with great success in the World Cup. His debut came in the second half of the match against South Africa and gradually began to earn more minutes. His impact on the development of the World Cup was from minor to major and managed to consolidate himself in the first team in the most determinant moments. He was a starter in the round of 16 against Ecuador and repeated in the quarterfinals against England.
Why wasn't he called up?
The national team coach preferred to be direct with the media to avoid speculations about the physical condition of the player. Alex Diego confirmed that the decision was made in agreement with the board of directors of the border club and the player's own environment, after the long activity that the young man had been having, which began with the U20 World Cup last year and this year continued with the World Cup representing the senior team; therefore, they decided that it was necessary for him to return to activity with his team in the Liga BBVA MX.
What's next?
The strategist emphasized that the national team's technical staff seeks to protect the maturation processes of young players to avoid accelerating their development too quickly. In this sense, the decision not to call up Gilberto Mora was made with the goal of allowing the young man to continue developing his career in the club and avoid accelerating his maturation process too quickly.
The Mexico national team continues to lead the table in the FIFA World Cup 2026 with 9 points, 3 wins and 0 losses in 3 games, and a 5-point lead over South Africa. In their last game, Mexico lost 2-3 to England on July 6, 2026. In their last series of games, Mexico has won 4 of the last 5 matches.
