Legendary Ochoa Hangs Up His Gloves After 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup on home soil turned out to be the final chapter of Guillermo Ochoa’s storied career. At 41, the Mexican goalkeeper walks away with a rare piece of history — only he, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have played in six different World Cups. “I never imagined how far a dream could take me. Today I can only look back with pride and say thank you to everyone. Thank you to my family. Thank you to my teammates. Thank you to every fan who stood by me every step of the way. I take with me the love of millions and the peace of mind that comes from knowing I gave everything for Mexico. What we lived through, no one can take from us. From the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Ochoa said in his farewell. Over his career, Ochoa suited up for Club América, Ajaccio, Málaga, Granada, Standard Liège, Salernitana, ABC and AEL Limassol. His club tally reads 788 appearances, 1,096 goals conceded and 194 clean sheets. For the Mexican national team, he logged 154 caps, 154 goals against and 64 shutouts. His trophy cabinet includes Mexican Player of the Year awards for 2006/07 and 2020/21, a Mexican league title in 2004/05, the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2005/06, the CONCACAF Gold Cup (2009, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023, 2025), the CONCACAF Nations League in 2024/25, and the Belgian Cup in 2018.