Guillermo Ochoa made his debut withAmérica during theClausura 2004 tournament againstMonterrey, being only 18 years old when called up by head coachLeo Beenhakker.[14] Ochoa quickly demonstrated his skill and talent in goal, and the young goalkeeper was thrust into the spotlight to replace injured veteranAdolfo Ríos. He would then share the starting job with Ríos after he recovered from his aforementioned injury. At the conclusion of his first season, he won the Rookie of the Tournament award.[15]
When theApertura 2004 tournament began, Ochoa was thought to be the heir apparent to Ríos, who had retired. However, new head coachOscar Ruggeri brought new goalkeepers with him, among them ArgentineSebastián Saja.[16] Ruggeri's stay at the club was marred by controversy and unpopular decisions. He was fired after only six games into the season and Ochoa was soon reinstated by new coachMario Carrillo. Thereafter, he started every game for Club América save for incidents involving injuries or national team duty. Under Carrillo, Ochoa won his first championship with América following theClausura 2005 season.[17] He also won the2005 Campeón de Campeones[18] and the2006 CONCACAF Champions' Cup with América.[19]
He won back-to-back Golden Glove awards for the2006–07 season.[20]
In October 2007, Ochoa was named inFrance Football's list of candidates for theBallon d'Or, being one of only three players named to not play in Europe.[21][22]
Ochoa would start 2008 in impressive form, helping América win theInterLiga tournament with excellent performances, most notably in the group match againstMonarcas Morelia, where he saved a late penalty kick, and América's 1–0 lead.[23]
In the winter of 2010, there was much speculation by various sources in England as to where Ochoa would move to for the 2011–12 season. English newspaperMetro reportedManchester United were keen on signing Ochoa.[24]
Ochoa's last season with América was theClausura 2011,[25] which ended with a quarter-final defeat to Monarcas Morelia.[26]
On 4 July 2011, Ochoa signed a three-year contract, with an additional one-year option,[27] with French clubAjaccio, recently promoted toLigue 1.[28] He played in his first two friendlies with Ajaccio againstBordeaux andReal Sociedad, losing 1–2 and 0–4 respectively.
Ochoa made his official club debut on 5 August2011 againstToulouse, losing 0–2.[29] On 18 and 21 December, Ajaccio won two games in a row, with Ochoa keeping two consecutive clean-sheets, his third clean-sheet in total of the season. Ochoa also contributed in 3–0 victory againstÉtoile Fréjus Saint-Raphaël in theCoupe de France. On 14 January 2012, he helped Ajaccio with a 2–1 victory overAuxerre, and on 21 January, he played againstValenciennes in a 2–1 victory which put Ajaccio out of the relegation zone since the start of the season. Ajaccio won its sixth game with Ochoa in a 2–1 home win againstDijon. For the last game of the season, Ajaccio needed a win against Toulouse to escape the relegation zone. Ochoa started and played 90 minutes against Toulouse and helped Ajaccio win 2–0 to stay in Ligue 1. Ochoa finished his first season with 8 cleansheets, 43 saves and 151 blocks.[30] Unfortunately he also finished the Ligue 1 season with 59 goals conceded, making him—along withCaen goalkeeperAlexis Thébaux—the most scored-on keeper of the season.[31] Regardless, the fans voted him asPlayer of the Season.[32]
On 1 July, Ajaccio club president Alain Orsoni announced Ochoa would stay for the2012–13 season amidst rumoured interest from clubs such asFenerbahçe andSevilla, but neither the clubs nor Ochoa's manager could come to a solid agreement.[33]
On 11 August, Ochoa started and played againstNice in a 1–0 away win for their first game and win for the season. On 19 August, Ochoa played in Ajaccio's 0–0 draw at home againstParis Saint-Germain, in which he played a big part by keeping a clean sheet.[34] In the third match of the season, Ochoa played 60 minutes against Valenciennes in which he had to be substituted out due to a collision with a teammate. Ajaccio lost the match 0–3.[35] Ochoa finished the season with 12 clean sheets. He was voted again by fans asPlayer of the Season.[36]
Ochoa started in Ajaccio's first game of the season on 11 August 2013 againstSaint-Étienne. Ajaccio lost 0–1.[37] On 18 August, Ochoa played all 90 minutes against Paris Saint-Germain at theParc des Princes, with Ajaccio taking an early 1–0 advantage, though anEdinson Cavani goal in the 86th minute cost Ajaccio a famous victory, instead having to settle for a 1–1 draw.[38] Ochoa's performance was praised, with many noting the Mexican had saved 12 of PSG's 39 total shots.[39]
On 18 January 2014, Ochoa played his 100th match in Europe in Ajaccio's 0–2 away loss to Nice.[40] Following a 1–2 defeat toBastia on 20 April, Ajaccio were officially relegated toLigue 2 after spending three years in the top flight.[41] Ochoa played his final match with the club on 17 May in a 1–3 defeat to Saint-Étienne. After officially announcing his departure, the club bid farewell to Ochoa in an open letter on social media.[42][43]
Ochoa signed a three-year contract with SpanishLa Liga clubMálaga on 1 August 2014.[44] Despite having participation with the club during the pre-season, Ochoa had not made any league appearances, withCarlos Kameni being managerJavi Gracia's first-choice goalkeeper.[45] On 3 December, Ochoa played his first competitive game for Málaga, in a 1–1Copa del Rey draw againstDeportivo de La Coruña. In the following league match against the same team, three days later, he was again back on the substitutes' bench.[46]
By early November, media speculation linked Ochoa with a possible January transfer toLiverpool in a £4 million deal.[47] Despite rumours continuing to flourish andMexico managerMiguel Herrera expressing displeasure with his first-choice goalkeeper receiving limited playing time, no move had materialized by the end of the January transfer window, with Málaga expressing they were pleased to retain Ochoa, adding the player had been "a professional".[48]
On 5 March 2016, Ochoa made his debut in La Liga in Málaga's 3–3 draw with Deportivo La Coruña, replacing Carlos Kameni due to injury in the 36th minute. It was Ochoa's first league appearance in over a year.[50]
On 22 July 2016,Granada announced they had acquired Ochoa on a season-long loan.[51] He made his league debut on 20 August in a 1–1 draw againstVillarreal.[52] It was reported in April 2017 that Ochoa was set to be a free agent at the end of the2016–17 season due to the expiry of his contract with Málaga.[53]
On 13 May, Ochoa broke the record for the most goals conceded in a single La Liga season when he conceded his 79th and 80th goals in a loss toOsasuna. The record, set bySalamanca goalkeeperIgnacio Aizpurúa in1995–96, had previously stood at 78 goals for a single campaign. However, Ochoa was also the goalkeeper with the most saves across the top five leagues in Europe with 162.[54] He ultimately conceded 82 goals as Granada were relegated to theSegunda División, having only won four matches in the season.
Ochoa played every minute of Granada's season and was votedPlayer of the Season by the club's fans.[55][56]
On 9 July 2017, it was announced Belgian clubStandard Liège had signed Ochoa from Malága on a two-year contract.[57] He made hisleague debut on the 30th of the month in a 1–1 draw againstKV Mechelen.[58] He became the club's first choice for the goalkeeper position and in his firstseason played 38 out of 40 league games including playoffs.[59]
The followingseason, Ochoa played in every league match with Standard, including eight matches in theEuropa League, and he was named the club'sPlayer of the Season. In May 2019, Ochoa suggested that he would leave Standard Liège.[60]
On 5 August 2019, Ochoa returned to Club América on a three-and-a-half-year deal.[61] Though details of the transfer were undisclosed, it was reported that Ochoa will be the highest-paid Mexican player in theLiga MX, earning US$4.4 million annually.[62] He chose the number 6 jersey, as the numbers 1, 8, and 13 – numbers he has previously worn throughout his career – had already been registered.[63] On 24 August, he played his first match for América since 2011 againstTigres UANL, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[64] The team went on to reach theApertura championship finals and facedMonterrey,[65] with Ochoa playing in both legs and managing to saveStefan Medina's penalty kick in the subsequent shootout, though it was not enough to prevent Monterrey from winning 4–2 on penalty kicks, following a 3–3 draw on aggregate.[66]
Prior to the start of the2020–21 season, Ochoa switched his jersey number.[67] On 29 August 2020, he wore thecaptain's armband for the first time since returning to Club América in their 2–1 victory overAtlético San Luis.[68]
Following a 1–0 win againstQuerétaro on 24 August 2022, Ochoa became the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets in Club América's 105-year history, breaking the previous record of 110 held byAdrián Chávez.[69]
On 23 December 2022, Ochoa signed for ItalianSerie A clubSalernitana, agreeing a contract until 30 June 2023 with a one-year extension option.[70] After helping the club avoid relegation, Ochoa won Salernitana's Player of The Season award.[71] He left Salernitana by mutual consent at the end of the2023–24 season with the club relegated to theSerie B.[72]
On 2 September 2024, Portuguese clubAVS announced Ochoa's signing as a free agent.[73] On 22 September 2024, Ochoa stared in a match againstSporting CP, where he made impressive saves againstViktor Gyökeres.[74] At the end of the2024–25 season, Ochoa was awarded the Clubs Best Defence of the Season.[75]
By the end of the 2025 summer transfer window, Ochoa's expected transfer to SpanishSegunda División sideBurgos CF fell through due to contractual financial disagreements.[76] Shortly after, he signed withAEL Limassol of Cyprus.[77] On 22 September, Ochoa debuted in a 5–0 loss toOmonia.[78]
Ochoa was included in the roster to participate at the2004 Summer Olympics inAthens, Greece,[79] but saw no playing time as the third-choice goalkeeper. He was part of the team at 2005Toulon Tournament in France, where Mexico finished fourth.[80] He was also called up for the2005 Gold Cup[81] but received no playing time. On 14 December 2005, at age 20, Ochoa made hissenior national team debut in a friendly match againstHungary, which Mexico won 2–0.[82] Ochoa was called up by coachRicardo La Volpe for the2006 FIFA World Cup as the third-choice goalkeeper.[83]
After the World Cup, newly appointed managerHugo Sánchez called Ochoa into the national side as a deputy to Mexico's then-starting goalkeeper,Oswaldo Sánchez. Ochoa was a part of the squad which participated at the2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, appearing once in a group stage match againstCuba as Mexico finished runner-up to rivals theUnited States. He also played for Mexico at theCopa América that same summer, being praised for his performance in the 2–0 group stage victory over eventual-championsBrazil.[84] He appeared in an additional group stage match againstChile in a scoreless draw and in the third-place match againstUruguay, winning 3–1.[85]
He made his2010 World Cup qualification debut on 28 March 2009 againstCosta Rica, eventually playing the majority of the qualification matches.[89] Ochoa was included in Mexico's roster for the2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he started in every match. In the semi-final against Costa Rica, the game was taken into apenalty shoot-out following a 1–1 draw. Ochoa would block Costa Rica's third attempt during the shoot-out, winning the series 5–3 and winning theman of the match award.[90] As Mexico won thefinal against the United States with a score of 5–0,[91] he was subsequently included in the All-Tournament Team.[92] Ochoa made the final 23-man cut for the2010 World Cup, but was controversially named back-up goalkeeper to veteranÓscar Pérez by coachJavier Aguirre.[84][89]
During the2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Ochoa—along with four other members of the Mexico national team—tested positive for the banned substanceClenbuterol and were withdrawn from the team's tournament squad.[93] All players were later acquitted by theMexican Football Federation and the results were blamed on contamination of meat, with the ingestion of clenbuterol considered non-intentional.[94] TheWorld Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to theCourt of Arbitration for Sport to request a ban.[95] On 12 October 2011, WADA withdrew the request after the full file was available for them.[96][97]
On 9 May 2014, Ochoa was named in Mexico's 23-man squad for that year'sWorld Cup.[98] He started in Mexico's opening match againstCameroon on 13 June, which ended in a 1–0 victory.[99] The match was Ochoa's debut in a World Cup, having been called up for the previous two tournaments but failing to appear in a match.[100]
On 17 June, in the second group stage match against hostsBrazil, Ochoa made four notable saves,[101][102][103] including one following a powerful header fromNeymar that helped secure a 0–0 draw,[104] immediately drawing comparisons toGordon Banks' famed 1970 World Cup save against Pelé.[105] Ochoa was namedman of the match,[105] earning praise from many, including Brazilian head coachLuiz Felipe Scolari.[106] Ochoa himself commented on his performance, saying, "It was the match of my life. To do it in a World Cup, in front of all the fans, it's incredible."[107]
Ochoa conceded one goal in the group stage, in the 3–1 victory againstCroatia that qualified Mexico for the round-of-16.[108] Ochoa started in Mexico'sknock-out match against theNetherlands, in which he made several crucial saves to hold on to Mexico's 1–0 advantage. However, the Dutch ultimately won 2–1 through a penalty scored in the 91st minute.[109] Ochoa's performance was praised, and he was namedman of the match for asecond time.[110][111]
Ochoa was included in the2017 FIFA Confederations Cup roster.[112] In Mexico's third place match against Portugal, Ochoa managed to contribute various crucial saves, additionally stoppingAndre Silva's 17th-minute penalty kick attempt. Mexico lost 1–2 in overtime but he won theman of the match award.[113]
In May 2018, Ochoa was named in the squad for the2018 World Cup.[114] In Mexico's opener againstGermany, Ochoa made a total of nine saves, notably pushing a goal-boundToni Kroos free-kick onto the crossbar, and ultimately securing a clean sheet in the 1–0 victory.[115] He went on to play in all four of Mexico's games, making a total of 25 saves, more than any other goalkeeper in the tournament with the exception ofBelgium'sThibaut Courtois, who managed 27 saves in seven games.[116]
Ochoa was included inTata Martino's preliminary roster for the2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup[117] and was subsequently included in the final list.[118] In the quarterfinal match against Costa Rica, Ochoa proved to be decisive as he contributed to various saves to send the game tied 1–1 game to a penalty shoot-out, where he also made the critical stop in the shootout to send Mexico to the semifinal.[119] His contributions won him theman of the match award.[120] As Mexico defeated theUnited States in thefinal, he was included in the tournament's Best XI[121] along with winning the Golden Glove Award.[122] His participation in the tournament was his fifth Gold Cup, thus holding the record for the Mexican with most Gold Cup appearances.[123]
In November 2022, Ochoa was named in the squad for the2022 World Cup.[126] In Mexico's debut match againstPoland, Ochoa saved a penalty fromRobert Lewandowski resulting in a scoreless draw between the two sides,[127] winning the man of the match award.[128] However, he didn't contribute much in two final matches, as Mexico suffered a painful group stage elimination for the first time since1978 when his team fell behind Poland on goal difference due to conceding a brutal late goal fromSalem Al-Dawsari in Mexico's 2–1 victory overSaudi Arabia, and he was even criticised for losing focus in that devastating goal.[129]
Following the retirement of captainAndrés Guardado from the national team, Ochoa officially assumed the role.[130][131]
In June 2023, Ochoa was called up for the2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[132] Mexico went on to win a record 12th Gold Cup title at the competition, beatingPanama 1–0 in thefinal.[133] This was Ochoa's fifth Gold Cup title, making him the most successful player in the history of the competition.[13] During the course of the tournament, Ochoa kept a total of four clean sheets, winning the Golden Glove award and being included in the competition's best eleven.[134]
In November 2024, Ochoa was called up byJavier Aguirre for the2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League, and he started in the first leg quarter-final match against Honduras.[135] In March 2025, Mexico would go on to win their first-ever Nations League title by defeating Panama2–1 in the final. In June 2025, Ochoa was called up for the2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Mexico would win the Gold Cup after defeating the United States2–1 in the final, making it Ochoa's sixth Gold Cup win.[136]
Karla Villegas Gamas ofBleacher Report has described him "proven to be a safe keeper, with confidence and leadership. His experience is vast, and that is why he knows how to handle pressure.Paco Memo has played in some of the most important tournaments in world football, such as the Confederations Cup, Gold Cup and Copa America. Ochoa’s aerial game is enviable. He can catch a cross or a shot, but he can also deflect them with high dives with the top hand and punches. But those are not his only assets. His reflexes are so sharp that he can perform a collapse dive with one hand with ease, even if he has just rejected a shot. When the rivals made it past the defense, Ochoa knows how to work inside the box to cover his goal as much as possible by narrowing the angle."[137]
“A top goalkeeper, I’ve been watching him since America played against Arsenal in the final, I told him back then that he was in the top 3 of best goalkeepers in the world.”
In 2005, Ochoa dated Mexican actress, singer and songwriterDulce María.[144] The pair split a year later.[145] After his move to France, he began dating Mexican model Karla Mora. On 8 February 2013, Mora gave birth to a girl, Lucciana, inCorsica.[146] The couple welcomed their second child, a son, on 1 April 2015, one day after Ochoa's national team teammateAndrés Guardado's son was born.[147] They were married inIbiza, Spain on 8 July 2017.[148] The couple's second daughter was born in May 2019.[149]
Ochoa plays internationally with shirt number 13, in reference to his birthday which is on 13 July.[100]
Ochoa has appeared on the North American front cover of the FIFA games,FIFA 08,[150] andFIFA 09.[151]
In October 2017, Ochoa helped foundAsociación Mexicana de Futbolistas (Mexican Footballers Association).[153]
On 19 July 2022, Ochoa received an offer from a former NFL kicker to help train Ochoa if he wanted to end his football career and be anNFLkicker.[154][155]
Ochoa is an active investor in startups, including the digital music startup,TREBEL Music.[156]
^ab"Ochoa: We're not nervous about facing Brazil". FIFA.com. Archived fromthe original on 16 June 2014. Retrieved13 June 2014.Thirteen is anything but unlucky for Guillermo Ochoa. Born on the 13th of July and the wearer of the No13 jersey, the Mexico goalkeeper now has another reason to regard the number with affection. Today, on Friday 13 June, he finally made his FIFA World Cup debut.
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