Mexico’s 17-year-old midfielder Gilberto Mora makes World Cup history by becoming the youngest Mexican to play in the men’s FIFA World Cup. Multiple outlets report that Mora appears in Mexico’s opening match, a 2-0 win over South Africa, at Estadio Azteca, coming on as a substitute in the second half (around the 65th–66th minute). Yahoo Sports specifies Mora’s age as 17 years and 240 days at the time of his introduction, a figure also repeated by other reports.
Newsweek and other summaries describe the appearance as a milestone for Mexico and note that Mora also ranks among the youngest players ever to participate in a World Cup. Legit.ng adds that his record surpasses a previous Nigerian benchmark associated with younger World Cup appearances, referencing Nigeria’s Femi Opabunmi and Bartholomew Ogbeche. Times of India similarly says the record stood for decades, dating to 1930. Separate reporting also places Mora among the youngest World Cup players historically and compares his age with other notable debuts.
