Guillermo Ochoa facts for kids
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Ochoa with Mexico at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Francisco Guillermo Ochoa Magaña | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 13 July 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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AVS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2004 | América | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Tigrillos Coapa | 12 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2011 | América | 239 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | → San Luis (loan) | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Ajaccio | 112 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Málaga | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | → Granada (loan) | 38 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2019 | Standard Liège | 78 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2022 | América | 118 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Salernitana | 41 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | AVS | 23 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Mexico U23 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Mexico Olympic (O.P.) | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005– | Mexico | 151 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2024 |
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Francisco Guillermo Ochoa Magaña (born 13 July 1985), known as Memo Ochoa, is a Mexican professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Primeira Liga club AVS and the Mexico national team.
Ochoa has been a key player for Mexico since 2005. He has played in five FIFA World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022). He is known for his great performances in these big tournaments. He has also played in many other international competitions. These include the FIFA Confederations Cup, Olympic tournaments, Copas América, and CONCACAF Gold Cups. He has won six Gold Cup titles, making him the most successful player in that competition's history.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at América
Guillermo Ochoa started his professional career with América in 2004. He was only 18 years old. He quickly showed his talent as a goalkeeper. He even won the Rookie of the Tournament award in his first season.
After the main goalkeeper retired, Ochoa became the team's regular starter. He helped América win their first championship in 2005. He also won the 2005 Campeón de Campeones and the 2006 CONCACAF Champions' Cup with the club. He was recognized as one of the best goalkeepers in Mexico. In 2007, he was even nominated for the Ballon d'Or, a major international award.
Moving to Ajaccio in France
In 2011, Ochoa moved to France to play for Ajaccio. The team had just been promoted to Ligue 1, France's top league. He made his first official appearance in August 2011.
His first season was tough, as Ajaccio conceded many goals. However, Ochoa made many saves and helped the team avoid being sent back down to a lower league. Fans voted him their Player of the Season. He continued to play well in the 2012–13 season, earning the "Player of the Season" award again.
In the 2013–14 season, Ochoa played his 100th game in Europe. Despite his strong efforts, Ajaccio was relegated to Ligue 2 at the end of the season. He left the club after three years.
Time in Spain with Málaga and Granada
In 2014, Ochoa signed with La Liga club Málaga in Spain. For a long time, he was the second-choice goalkeeper and didn't play much in league games. He finally made his La Liga debut in March 2016.
In 2016, he was loaned to Granada for a season. He played every minute of Granada's league games. He made a record number of saves in the league that season. Even though Granada was relegated, Ochoa was voted their Player of the Season by the fans.
Playing in Belgium for Standard Liège
In 2017, Ochoa joined the Belgian club Standard Liège. He quickly became the team's main goalkeeper. He played almost all their league games in his first season.
In his second season, he played in every league match and also in the Europa League. He was named the club's Player of the Season.
Returning to América
In August 2019, Ochoa made an exciting return to his first club, América. He signed a long-term deal. He quickly became a leader for the team. In 2020, he became the team's captain.
In 2022, Ochoa set a new record for América. He became the goalkeeper with the most "clean sheets" (games where the opponent doesn't score) in the club's 105-year history.
Playing in Italy with Salernitana
In December 2022, Ochoa moved to Italy to play for Serie A club Salernitana. He helped the team avoid being relegated to a lower league. For his great work, he won Salernitana's Player of the Season award. He left the club in 2024.
Joining AVS in Portugal
In September 2024, Ochoa signed with the Portuguese club AVS. He joined them as a free agent.
International Career with Mexico
Early Years and First World Cups
Ochoa was part of Mexico's team for the 2004 Summer Olympics. He made his debut for the senior national team in December 2005, at age 20. Mexico won that friendly match 2–0 against Hungary. He was chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup squad but did not play.
He played in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2007 Copa América. He was praised for his performance in a 2–0 win against Brazil in the Copa América. He also played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but was a backup goalkeeper.
2014 FIFA World Cup Success
Ochoa was a key player for Mexico at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started in Mexico's first game, a 1–0 win against Cameroon. This was his first World Cup appearance.
In the second group game against host country Brazil, Ochoa made amazing saves. His performance helped Mexico get a 0–0 draw. Many people compared his saves to famous ones by legendary goalkeepers. He was named the "man of the match" for his incredible play.
Mexico made it to the knockout stage. Ochoa continued to make crucial saves in their match against the Netherlands. Even though Mexico lost 2–1, Ochoa's performance was highly praised, and he was again named "man of the match."
Later World Cups and Gold Cup Wins
Ochoa was also part of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup team. He made many important saves, including stopping a penalty kick against Portugal.
In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Ochoa was again a star. In Mexico's opening game against Germany, he made nine saves, helping Mexico win 1–0. He played in all four of Mexico's games, making many saves throughout the tournament.
He continued his success in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He made a critical save in a penalty shootout against Costa Rica, sending Mexico to the semi-finals. Mexico won the final against the United States, and Ochoa received the Golden Glove Award as the best goalkeeper.
Ochoa also won a bronze medal with the Mexican Olympic team at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Ochoa saved a penalty kick from Robert Lewandowski in Mexico's first match against Poland. This helped Mexico get a draw.
In June 2023, Ochoa became the official captain of the national team. He led Mexico to win a record ninth Gold Cup title at the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup. This was his fifth Gold Cup title, making him the most successful player in the history of the competition. He also won the Golden Glove award again.
Playing Style
Experts describe Guillermo Ochoa as a confident and strong goalkeeper. He has a lot of experience, which helps him handle pressure in big games. He is known for his excellent ability to deal with high balls and shots in the air. His reflexes are very quick, allowing him to make incredible saves even when shots come at him fast. He is also good at closing down angles to make it harder for opponents to score.
Personal Life
Guillermo Ochoa is married to Karla Mora. They have three children: a daughter named Lucciana, a son, and another daughter. They got married in Ibiza, Spain, in 2017.
Ochoa wears the number 13 jersey internationally because his birthday is on July 13. He has appeared on the cover of the FIFA 08 and FIFA 09 video games in North America. He is also involved in helping other footballers and invests in new companies.
Honours and Awards
Guillermo Ochoa has won many awards and titles throughout his career.
- With América:
- Mexican Primera División: 2005
- Campeón de Campeones: 2005
- InterLiga: 2007, 2008
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 2006
- With Standard Liège:
- Belgian Cup: 2018
- With Mexico Olympic Team:
- Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
- With Mexico National Team:
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2023, 2025
- CONCACAF Nations League: 2025
- Individual Awards:
- Mexican Primera División Best Rookie: 2003–04
- Ajaccio Fan's Player of the Season: 2011–12, 2012–13
- Granada Fan's Player of the Season: 2016–17
- Standard Liège Player of the Season: 2018–19
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Golden Glove: 2019, 2023
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI: 2009, 2019, 2023
- IFFHS CONCACAF World's Best Goalkeeper: 2021
- Salernitana MVP of the Season: 2022–23
Records
Ochoa holds several impressive records:
- He is the player with the most national team titles in history (7).
- He has the most CONCACAF Gold Cup titles (5).
- He has the most clean sheets for Club América (121).
- He made the most saves in a French League match (13).
- He is the goalkeeper with the most saves across the top five leagues in Europe in 2016–17.
- He is the most-capped goalkeeper for Mexico.
- He has the most appearances for Club América as a goalkeeper.
- He is one of only eight players to have played in five FIFA World Cups.
- He is one of only three goalkeepers to have played in five FIFA World Cups.
