IControversy has recently arisen over Gilberto Mora’s participation in Mexico’s 2026 World Cup squad following changes to the National Military Service (SMN) regulations.
The Ministry of Defense (Sedena) announced a major restructuring of the SMN, reminding above all of the obligatory nature of the service to those who meet the requirements.
Vinicius Junior can’t believe he scored a magical goal against the Real Madrid goalkeeper
Gilberto Mora is still underage and does not meet the requirements, but he will meet all the requirements next year.
SMN won’t touch Mora during the World Cup
The World Cup, which will be held in Canada, Mexico and the United States, will begin on June 11th, with the grand final to be held on July 19th. During the 2026 World Cup, talented Mexican soccer players will be 17 years old and will not reach the age of majority until October 14th.
As a result, Mora will not have to serve in the military until 2027. According to the Mexican government website, this is the military service process. “You enlist in the year you turn 18, you have to take part in a lottery that year, and the following year, after you know the results of the lottery, you can either be ‘in the slot’ or ‘available.'” Javier Aguirre can rest assured that he doesn’t have any “jewels.” The Mexican national team was stolen from him.
SMN changes
After 45 years, the Ministry of Defense (Sedena) changed the regulations of the National Military Service. The most notable change is that the new training model will be reduced from 44 to 13 Saturday sessions to encourage youth participation.
From 2026, training will be conducted in two stages. The first round will run from February 14th to May 9th, and the second round will run from August 1st to October 24th.
The drawing process is also changed to determine whether they are “framed” (white or blue balls) or “available” (black balls). The process involves five phases: enlistment, lottery, recruitment, training, and release.
