Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Chase for World Cup Record Rivaled by Mexico Legend

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are set to make history this summer by becoming the first players to appear in six different World Cups. They could be joined in this exclusive club by Mexico national team legend and tournament cult hero, Guillermo Ochoa.

The iconic, curly-haired Mexican goalkeeper continues to make acrobatic saves at 40 years old, currently playing for AEL Limassol in Cyprus’s top division. Although he has expressed his desire to make a sixth World Cup roster, he hasn’t played for El Tri since 2024 and had slim chances of making the summer squad — until this week.

Mexico’s likely starting goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup, Luis Ángel Malagón, tore his Achilles tendon and will miss the tournament after surgery earlier this week. El Tri will take three goalkeepers to the tournament, and reports indicate that coach Javier Aguirre will call up Ochoa for the March international friendlies against Portugal and Belgium.

Raúl Rangel is now the overwhelming favorite to start in goal for Mexico this summer, but Ochoa has a very realistic chance of securing one of the two backup spots.

If selected, Ochoa will join Messi and Ronaldo as the only three players in history to represent their countries in six separate World Cups, surpassing three other players with five World Cup appearances, including two other Mexican legends.

Players With The Most World Cup Appearances

At Qatar 2022, Messi, Ronaldo, and Ochoa joined three other players with five World Cup appearances — the most ever. This elite group previously included Germany’s Lothar Matthäus and Mexican greats Antonio Carbajal and Rafael Márquez.

Matthäus was part of Germany’s team that reached three consecutive finals from 1982 to 1990, winning the trophy in 1990 as captain. He played in two more World Cups afterward and held the all-time record for most games played in the tournament (25) until Messi surpassed him by one game in Qatar.

Before Ochoa, there was “La Tota” Carbajal, the legendary Mexican goalkeeper who played in five World Cups starting in Brazil 1950. Although Mexico never advanced past the group stage with Carbajal and lost 10 of the 14 games he played, he was instrumental in Mexico’s first-ever tournament win against Czechoslovakia in 1962 and a historic draw against France in 1966. Carbajal was the first player to appear in five World Cups.

Finally, Mexican center back “Rafa” Márquez not only played but captained El Tri in five World Cups, starting in 2002. He is a defining figure in 21st-century Mexican soccer and one of two El Tri players to score in three different World Cups.

The trio of Messi, Ronaldo, and Ochoa all began their World Cup careers in Germany 2006. While Messi and Ronaldo have played minutes in every tournament since, Ochoa was part of Mexico’s roster but did not make his World Cup debut until 2014.

Players With Five World Cup Appearances

Guillermo Ochoa’s Iconic World Cup Legacy

Although Ochoa has only played in three of the five World Cups he was selected for, his performances have made him synonymous with the tournament worldwide.

Ochoa was the third-choice goalkeeper in 2006 and was demoted to backup after starting consistently during the qualifiers for South Africa 2010. Then came 2014, and the rest is history.

In his second World Cup appearance, Ochoa made six spectacular saves, earning man of the match honors as he helped Mexico secure a draw against powerhouse host nation Brazil. He was arguably the player of the tournament and the main reason Mexico nearly advanced to the quarterfinals before a late collapse against the Netherlands.

In Russia 2018, he was equally impressive, keeping a clean sheet in Mexico’s biggest World Cup win ever — a shocking 1–0 victory over reigning champions Germany. Although Mexico were eliminated by Brazil in the round of 16, Ochoa delivered another monumental performance.

Despite Mexico’s overall poor performance in 2018, Ochoa stood out. In El Tri’s opening game, he saved a penalty from legendary striker Robert Lewandowski, helping Mexico secure a 0–0 draw.

Ochoa’s club career has been modest, marked by several relegations across European leagues. However, on the grand stage of the World Cup, he consistently delivers his best. This summer, playing at home, he has a chance to bid a fairytale farewell to the tournament he is so closely associated with.

Guillermo Ochoa World Cup Stats Snapshot

• Games Played: 11
• Goals Conceded: 12
• Clean Sheets: 4
• Record: 5 Wins, 2 Draws, 4 Losses

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