{"id":180711,"date":"2026-06-16T18:26:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T22:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nuevaonda.com\/memo-ochoa-announces-his-departure-and-will-retire-after-the-2026-world-cup\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T18:35:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T22:35:49","slug":"memo-ochoa-announces-his-departure-and-will-retire-after-the-2026-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nuevaonda.com\/en\/memo-ochoa-announces-his-departure-and-will-retire-after-the-2026-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"Memo Ochoa announces his departure and will retire after the 2026 World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa confirmed that the 2026 World Cup will mark the end of his professional career. The legendary Mexican goalkeeper, one of the most important figures in the history of the Mexican national team, stated that once his time with El Tri comes to an end, he will bring a close to more than two decades dedicated to professional soccer. The news was revealed during an emotional interview conducted by FIFA<\/a> as part of the \u201cLetters That Unite\u201d<\/a> series, a project in which soccer players read messages written by people close to them. During the conversation, Ochoa spoke about the significance the national team has had in his life and made it clear that his time as a player is coming to an end.<\/p>\n

“The Mexican national team has always been my compass, my guiding light, throughout my career and my life. I can’t imagine my career without the national team. I don’t know what my career would be without it, and now that my time with the national team is over, I don’t see any point in soccer or in continuing to play,” said the visibly emotional goalkeeper. Ochoa\u2019s words mark the end of one of the longest and most successful careers in the recent history of Mexican soccer. Since his debut with the senior national team in December 2005, the goalkeeper has racked up 153 international appearances, a figure that ranks him among the players with the most appearances in the history of El Tri. Only Andr\u00e9s Guardado and Claudio Su\u00e1rez have more appearances in the national jersey.<\/p>\n

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A legacy that transcends generations<\/h2>\n
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“I’ll always see you as my dad. And also as my legend.” \ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfd\ud83e\udd7a<\/p>\n

In the latest episode of “Letters That Unite,” Memo Ochoa receives a heartfelt letter from his daughter, who looks back on his time with the Mexican national team and his legendary career in the #FIFAWorldCup<\/a>. \u2709\ufe0f<\/p>\n

\u2014 FIFA World Cup \ud83c\udfc6 (@fifaworldcup_es) June 15, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n