‘Memo’ Ochoa has been a mainstay for Mexico but is he restful their man in 2026?

Guillermo Ochoa has spent half of his existence as the final line of defense for Mexico’s national crew.

Peaceable preserving it down as a top possibility for Mexico at goalkeeper at age 39, he started what would be a 20-year world career as a fresh-confronted 20-year-mature in 2005. In that span, he’s led Mexico in four FIFA World Cups and changed into as soon as the backup in one other (2006). Now he’s priming himself to handbook the community in 2026 when Mexico, alongside Canada and the US host soccer’s grandest occasion.

It’s not bizarre for a goalkeeper to play for an extended time with any one club or nation, but for anybody who has kept a discontinuance sight on CONCACAF worldwide locations, it has to feel as though Ochoa’s time with Mexico has spanned a know-how.

Ochoa, better is named “Memo” has played in 151 senior-level video games for the national crew and in that time fueled a document 5 wins in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the finest domestic tournament constituted of groups in North and Central The usa. He’s belief to be one amongst the gamers to take into accout had the most success in the competition — in sizable section because he’s its longest mainstay.

The vast majority of his club career has stumbled on him on the rosters of noteworthy Mexican crew Membership América, the build he spent two stints from 2004-11, and but again from 2019-22. He’s played 357 video games for Membership Americá, extra video games in his whole appearances for the assorted eight golf equipment he’s been apart of including his most up-to-date with AVS Futebol, in the Portuguese first division.

Screech by Gualter Fatia/Getty Pictures

The transfer to AVS, changed into as soon as strategic one as there had been rumors after he left Italian club Salertnitana earlier this year, that he would conception to take into accout a transfer to Main League Soccer. On the opposite hand, he informed journalists that the transfer to Portugal changed into as soon as to largely protect on Mexico’s radar. With aspirations to play in his sixth FIFA World Cup, Ochoa would withhold the document of the glorious participant to take into accout six World Cup rosters for one nation.

“For me, the motivation is to continue to salvage to know this fresh league and to withhold up the root of organising the Mexico national crew, in my hopes and to play in the following World Cup,” Ochoa acknowledged per an ESPN document in September.

‘It’s not going to be easy’

Having a see at the tune document coming off the final World Cup in Qatar, some would possibly presumably say Ochoa’s desire to salvage encourage derives from proving of us imperfect who suggested he changed into as soon as accomplished following Mexico’s unhappy exit in 2022.

Mexico failed to transfer beyond the community stage for the principal time since 1978 after Ochoa let in a leisurely map in opposition to Saudi Arabia that pushed El Tri down the standings and out of the tournament on map differential.

He even partly blamed himself for Mexico’s shortcomings after the sport, but furthermore is named out that a younger Mexican roster, one amongst its youngest in a FIFA World Cup tournament took the self-discipline. On the opposite hand, in his estimation the community conveyed that there is a lot to settle between the loss as the they take into accout for the long plod and conception toward 2026.

“You shouldn’t build a demand of to your self must you’re challenging ahead or backwards because of a consequence,” Ochoa informed journalists following the loss to the Saudis. “It’s a mistake that every four years you say that the cycle is over and you launch from scratch. It’s one amongst the errors and experiences that I’ve needed to are residing through and that we shouldn’t take into accout made. There are youngsters who played their first World Cup and gained abilities and who are taking a step ahead. And we now take into accout to handbook them for the following World Cup, since it’s not going to be easy.”

As a host, Mexico gained’t take into accout to qualify for 2026, but they are shopping for the lessons realized from the vast majority of a 2022 community that’s four years older, wiser and are scoot by the vivid recollections that stem from the sting of their community stage exit in 2022.

Might possibly well perchance Ochoa be amongst that mix?

It’s too early to present an explanation for, but his tune document reveals it’ll be exhausting for the Mexico’s federation to neglect what “Memo” has repeatedly brought between the posts as its final line of defense.