Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa said he has joined the final training camp with the national team as the veteran approaches a likely sixth World Cup appearance next month.
The 40-year-old is expected to be included in coach Javier Aguirre’s squad for the World Cup, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
“Putting this jersey on again was never a routine thing, it was a privilege.
My last training camp starts today. But this time I see it differently.
With a fuller heart, more scars, more memories and the same excitement as a child who once dreamed of defending this coat of arms,” Ochoa wrote on social media.
Ochoa will become one of the few players to appear in six World Cups, alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, having previously represented Mexico in Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
The goalkeeper also suggested the tournament could mark the end of his career, telling Mexican television network TUDN it “could be the end for me after the World Cup” as he prepares for what is expected to be his final season in professional football.
“I experienced unforgettable nights, endless games, anthems that still give me chills and moments that changed my life forever,” Ochoa wrote.
The goalkeeper, who currently plays for AEL Limassol in Cyprus, has made more than 150 appearances for Mexico and remains one of the country’s most recognizable players after some stellar performances at the World Cup, including a string of saves against Brazil in 2014 and a penalty against Poland’s Robert Lewandowski in 2022.
Mexico will finish their World Cup preparations with friendlies against Ghana on May 22, Australia on May 30 and Serbia on June 4, before opening the tournament against South Africa in Group A on June 11.
(Vijesti.ba)
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