The 41-year-old, who played in six FIFA World Cups, has announced his retirement from both club and country.
Published July 22, 2026
Guillermo Ochoa, widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in Mexican history, has announced his retirement from professional soccer, bringing an illustrious 22-year professional career to an end.
Ochoa, who turned 41 last week, had previously said the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be his last tournament, although there was speculation he would sign with a new club to extend his playing days.
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He put those rumors to rest on Tuesday.
Ochoa posted on social media: “I gave my all. I left everything on the field for my club and my country. And today I hang up my gloves.” “Being a goalkeeper means you’re prepared to wait maybe 90 minutes for a moment where it’s all about you. And when that moment comes, you can’t hesitate.”
Ochoa has appeared in six World Cups for Mexico, a figure shared only by icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He was Mexico’s starting goalkeeper in three tournaments: Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
Ochoa made his senior debut in February 2004 with Club América in Mexico City. He spent his first seven seasons there before moving to French club Ajaccio in 2011, becoming the first Mexican-born goalkeeper to play in Europe. His European career also saw him play for Malaga, Granada, Standard Liege, Salernitana, AVS Futebol and AEL Limassol before returning to Club America for three years from 2019 to 2022.
“I never imagined that my dreams would take me this far. Today, I can look back with pride and say nothing but ‘thank you,'” Ochoa wrote. “I leave with the love of millions of people and the peace of mind that I gave everything for Mexico.”
Ochoa played primarily as a backup to Raul Rangel at the recent North American World Cup, but coach Javier Aguirre brought him on for the final 13 minutes of Mexico’s final group stage game against the Czech Republic. After the final whistle, an emotional Ochoa kissed the goal post at Azteca Stadium, the venue where his career began, before kneeling down to accept hugs from his teammates. Long after the stands were empty, Ochoa stepped out into the center circle one last time to say his final goodbyes.
At club level, Ochoa won the league title with Club América in the 2005 Clausura competition and won the Belgian Cup with Standard Liege. On the international stage, he led Mexico to six CONCACAF Gold Cup titles and won a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
