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Guillermo Ochoa breaks Mexico goalkeeper record

In the friendly against Colombia, Ochoa played his 130th game.

Edgardo Avelar
Ciudad de MéxicoUpdate:
Mexico's goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa waves before the start of the international friendly football match between Mexico and Peru at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on September 24, 2022. (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP)
ROBYN BECKAFP

Guillermo Ochoa became the goalkeeper with the most caps in the history of the Mexico national team when he played in the friendly against Colombia.

Ochoa made his 130th appearance between the posts for the national team, surpassing Jorge Campos and Oswaldo Sánchez. Since his debut with the national team in 2005 in a friendly against Hungary, a lot has happened in the national team career of the goalkeeper who now plies his trade with América.

From that moment on he was also considered by the interim coach Jesús Ramírez, as well as by Sven Goran Erickson. He has also featured under Enrique Meza and Efraín Flores, two interim coaches who were in charge before Javier Aguirre was appointed for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

World Cup nightmare

In 2010, Ochoa was dealt the biggest blow of his career as everything indicated that he would be the starting goalkeeper for the games against South Africa, France, Uruguay and Argentina, but in the end, Oscar Perez was chosen and Ochoa was relegated to the bench.

But from that moment on, he became first choice for Mexico, playing in the World Cups of Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018. As Mexico’s keeper, he has managed to reach the round of 16 with the national team in the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups, as well as four Gold Cup titles in 2009, 2011 and 2019.

Ochoa’s outstanding performances

Among his best performances is the match against Brazil in the second match of the first phase of the 2014 World Cup where he prevented the Brazilians from doing any damage, as well as against Croatia in the same tournament. The game against Germany at the start of the 2018 World Cup will live long in the memory.

Ochoa is now set to reach hit at least 136 games in goal for his country, widening his gap over Campos and Oswaldo Sanchez.