In the 77th minute, the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived.
Fans had been calling for Guillermo Ochoa all evening. As the veteran goalkeeper warmed up before kickoff on Wednesday, chants of “Memo” echoed around Estadio Azteca. The calls grew louder after the starting lineups were announced, and by the 73rd minute, thousands were rhythmically chanting “O-cho-a” from the stands.
Head coach Javier Aguirre answered those calls four minutes later, sending the 40-year-old veteran onto the pitch to a deafening ovation in Mexico’s 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic. It was a moment that felt less like a substitution and more like a farewell, with Ochoa likely making his final World Cup appearance for El Tri.
“It’s the most beautiful thing, that they recognize your effort,” Ochoa said after the match. “I always try to do it for them, to leave a mark. I think today was a perfect ending.”
There could hardly have been a more fitting stage. Estadio Azteca is where Ochoa’s professional journey began with Club America in 2004, and on Wednesday night, it provided the backdrop for an emotional goodbye to one of Mexico’s most enduring football icons.
“I felt the affection in the stadium where I was born, the stadium where I grew up,” Ochoa said. “It came to me when I was in the stands, and I said, ‘I want to be on the field and I want to play here in this stadium.’”
Ochoa etched his name alongside World Cup greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on Wednesday, albeit with an asterisk. While this tournament marks his sixth World Cup squad selection, it is just his fourth that includes on-field appearances.
Ochoa watched from the bench in Germany in 2006 and South Africa in 2010 before becoming Mexico’s undisputed goalkeeper from Brazil in 2014 through Qatar in 2022.
The man known as Memo rose to prominence following a man-of-the-match performance in a 0-0 draw with host Brazil in the 2014 World Cup, including a spectacular denial of a Neymar header that earned him international acclaim. He followed that outing with a similarly strong performance in the round of 16 against the Netherlands, again earning the player of the match honor.
He also delivered a strong performance in the 2018 tournament, including a clean sheet against defending champion Germany. Then, despite starting the 2022 tournament well with a man-of-the-match performance against Poland, Ochoa conceded a late goal against Saudi Arabia to seal Mexico’s first group-stage elimination since 1978.
Ochoa’s presence at his sixth World Cup was in jeopardy until an injury to projected starter Luis Angel Malagon, who had anchored Mexico’s Nations League and Gold Cup triumphs last year, opened a path to this final curtain call. And what a show it was.
“If they had asked me to make a script a couple of years ago, I don’t think it would have turned out better than it did tonight,” Ochoa said. “It was wonderful. It was perfect.”
He entered to the sound of more than 85,000 people in Azteca chanting his name. The songs burst out soon after, followed by loud cheers when he had his first touch.
After the final whistle, Ochoa’s teammates tossed him into the air in celebration.
“In the end, I think that is the most beautiful thing of all,” Ochoa said. “The affection of my teammates.”
