Veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa is on the verge of an unprecedented achievement in football history, having been named in Mexico’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a tournament the nation is co-hosting alongside Canada and the United States.
The 40-year-old will become the first goalkeeper in history to appear at six World Cup final tournaments, an achievement that places him in the same company as Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
Ronaldo and Messi are the only untouchables for their respective countries, Ochoa’s role is expected to be largely to be peripheral Having slipped down the goalkeeping hierarchy, the experienced shot-stopper is unlikely to see playing time, with his inclusion serving chiefly as recognition of an extraordinary international career that began at Germany 2006.
Leading Mexico’s attacking ambitions are forwards Raúl Jiménez and Santiago Giménez, both of whom ply their trade at prominent European clubs. Jiménez continues his career with Premier League side Fulham, while the younger Giménez has established himself as a credible striker at Serie A giants AC Milan.
Gilberto Mora, a 17-year-old attacking midfielder of considerable promise, is set to become the youngest player ever to represent Mexico at a World Cup.
For Aguirre, 67, this appointment marks his third stint guiding El Tri through a World Cup campaign. He previously managed Mexico at the 2002 and 2010 editions, on both occasions failing to advance beyond the group stage.
The veteran coach will be hoping for a different outcome on home soil, with Mexico’s history as a World Cup host providing measured grounds for optimism.
The nation reached the quarter-finals during both the 1970 and 1986 editions, the latter of which Mexico also hosted.
Mexico open the tournament in the competition’s first fixture, facing South Africa on 11 June. They subsequently take on South Korea on 18 June before concluding their group stage campaign against the Czech Republic on 24 June.