The next Charlyn Corral? Citlalli Reyes chases glory at her third World Cup with Mexico
At 17, Mexico's captain has played three U-17 World Cups and holds the appearance record. Her goals make her one of the young Mexican players to watch.
Charlyn Corral has just won the Gerd Müller Trophy at the Ballon d'Or gala. Her success invites a look at the next generation of Mexican football, where Citlalli Reyes already has an impressive calling card: three U-17 World Cups before turning 18.
From midfield, Mexico's captain finished the group stage of Morocco 2026 with two goals, bringing her total to five across her three World Cup appearances. She has scored in every edition she has played.
One of those goals kept Mexico alive. On October 25, against Australia, Reyes struck in the 35th minute, finishing a move down the right for the only goal of the match. That 1–0 win sealed a place in the round of 16.
That afternoon she also reached 13 matches at U-17 Women's World Cups, breaking the record of 12 shared by players such as Deyna Castellanos and Claudia Pina. On Thursday, October 29, her start against Nigeria took her tally to 14 matches.
Her journey began at Dominican Republic 2024, continued at Morocco 2025 and now spans a third straight edition. Since 2025 the tournament has been held every year, opening the door to repeat appearances within the same age group.
From watching her brother to wearing the armband
Citlalli's story began at age six, when she fell in love with football watching her older brother play. At 14 she received her first call-up to Mexico. She started her development in the United States and later joined Rayadas' U-19 side.
“Now I have even bigger dreams,” she said as she celebrated her record.
Citlalli is already a standout in her age group. To become a role model like Corral, her next challenge will be to keep producing goals in professional football and earn a place in the senior national team.
Sources: Excélsior · Claro Sports
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