June 29th, 2014, and Guillermo ‘Memo’ Ochoa walks away with tears in his eyes, but as a new World Cup hero. In 2018, Ochoa emerged as a hero again when Mexico beat defending champion Germany. At 40, Ochoa has played in six World Cups, more than any Mexican before him. Now he’s saying he’s done.

As a part of FIFA’s ‘Letters that Unite’ series, the Mexican icon had a lot to say ahead. In it, he admitted that as his time with El Tri comes to an end, so does his love for football.

“The Mexican national team has always been my compass in my career and my life; it’s given me direction,” Ochoa said in the interview posted on X.

“I can’t understand my career without the national team. I don’t know what my career would be like without the national team. And now that (my time with) the national team is ending, I don’t see any more meaning in football. I don’t see any more meaning in continuing to play.

“I’ve enjoyed each moment there. I gave it my all. I leave in peace, with my head held high and proud to have experienced this.”

The revelation is heartbreaking because Ochoa had been absent from the squad since 2024, only recalled in May 2026 due to injuries. He hadn’t made an appearance for Mexico since their CONCACAF Nations League finals in 2024, a 2-0 loss to Honduras in the quarter-finals first leg.

He remained on standby without playing until injuries to Mexico’s first-choice goalkeepers forced his reintegration ahead of 2026.

Ochoa made his return in a pre-tournament friendly against Australia, playing 45 minutes. El Tri eventually named the AEL Limassol star to their 26-man squad for the tournament, and fans hoped to see the icon on the field again.

After all, the last time Guillermo Ochoa stepped onto the World Cup field was in 2022. Despite struggling for form at the club level, the then 36-year-old turned back the clock for his side yet again. Big saves against both Poland and Saudi Arabia kept Mexico in the running, but a loss to Argentina knocked them out in the group stages.

It continued Ochoa’s trend of turning into a hero in the World Cup, echoing his performances in 2014 and 2022. It was, however, his heroics at the 2014 World Cup that turned him into a household name when he stopped a star-studded Brazil side in the group stages.

Then, in the Round of 16, he almost singlehandedly stopped the Netherlands. It had many Mexican fans hoping that the drought was over. But a late collapse and two goals from the European giants meant that El Tri crashed out in the Round of 16 for their sixth successive World Cup.

However, regardless of how his final World Cup ends, Ochoa has already secured his place in football history. The goalkeeper became only the third player ever to be named in six men’s World Cup squads. It’s a milestone that left him reflecting on a journey that began more than two decades ago.

Guillermo Ochoa reflects on making World Cup history

Fans will forever remember the 2006 World Cup for the debuts of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. While the two wouldn’t make their mark on the stage until the 2010 edition, their debuts came in 2006. What many forget is that Guillermo Ochoa was also a part of that World Cup, even if he didn’t make his first appearance until 2014.

That was largely down to circumstances beyond his control. Yet, when he finally stepped onto the World Cup stage, Ochoa never looked back. Now, at 40, he becomes one of three players to ever be named in six World Cup squads. That is more than Mexican legends Andres Guardado (5) and Rafael Marquez (5).

When asked about his legacy, Ochoa doesn’t see himself in the same light as Ronaldo and Messi. Despite that, the goalkeeper believes his achievement is extraordinary and is proud to represent his country at the highest stage.

“Well, let’s see, they are extraordinary players. It’s not that I’m comparing myself to them, but well, at least in that particular World Cup category, it will be there for history,” Ochoa said, as per World Soccer Talk.

“It’s something difficult to imagine at the beginning, and I am very happy because the two of them are extraordinary. What they have done for football is wonderful, and I’m happy to share it with them, and that a Mexican is up there.”

The list goes on, with the likes of Gianluigi Buffon, Manuel Neuer, Sergio Busquets, and company on it as well. Whether Ochoa does or doesn’t retire, his place in football’s history is already secure. And if this truly is the final chapter of his career, then the goalkeeper seems content knowing he leaves both with nothing left unsaid or to prove.