Guillermo Ochoa is a Mexican football star who plays as a goalkeeper for Salernitana, an Italian club, and the Mexico national team, where he also serves as captain.
He is widely considered one of the best goalkeepers in Mexican football history and has won five CONCACAF Gold Cups with his country.
He is known for his incredible reflexes, agility and acrobatic saves, which have earned him the nickname “Memo“ .
File
- Full name: Francisco Guillermo Ochoa Magaña
- Nickname: Memo
- Date of birth: July 13, 1985
- Age: 40 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
- Nationality: Mexican
- Occupation: Professional soccer player
- Height: 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
- Parents: Guillermo Ochoa Sánchez and Natalia Magaña Orozco
- Siblings: Ana Laura Ochoa Magaña
- Spouse: Karla Mora
- Children: Luciana, Lucciana and Luciano Ochoa Mora
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $15 million
Early life and education
Guillermo Ochoa, now 40 years old in 2024, was born on July 13, 1985 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He grew up in a middle-class family that owned a bakery business.
His parents, Guillermo Ochoa Sánchez and Natalia Magaña Orozco, supported his aspirations to play football and enrolled him in a local academy when he was five years old.
He showed great talent and potential as a goalkeeper and was scouted by Club América, one of Mexico’s biggest clubs, when he was 13. He moved to Mexico City to join the club’s youth system and completed his studies there.
Personal life
Guillermo Ochoa married Karla Mora, a model and television presenter, in 2013.
They have two daughters, Luciana and Lucciana, and a son, Luciano, all born in France during Ochoa’s time playing for Ajaccio and Malaga. The family now live in Italy, where Ochoa plays for Salernitana.
Career
Guillermo Ochoa began his professional career with Club América in 2004 after impressing in the youth team.
He made his debut at the age of 18 and quickly became the team’s first-choice goalkeeper. He helped the club win the 2005 and 2006 Clausura titles and the 2006 CONCACAF Champions League.
He also won the Golden Glove award at the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup, where he made outstanding saves against Barcelona and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. He played for Club América until 2011, making 241 appearances and scoring one penalty.
In 2011, Ochoa moved to Europe and signed with Ajaccio, a French club that had just been promoted to Ligue 1.
He quickly adapted to the new league and became a fan favourite for his spectacular performances. He saved four penalties in his first season and was named Ligue 1’s best goalkeeper by France Football magazine.
He also broke the record for most saves in a Ligue 1 season with 186 in the 2012-13 campaign. He remained at Ajaccio until 2014, playing 112 games and earning the respect and admiration of teammates and opponents alike.
In 2014, Ochoa joined Spanish club Malaga on a free transfer. He faced competition from incumbent goalkeeper Carlos Kameni and played just 11 games in his first season.
He played more regularly in his second season, making 25 appearances and keeping nine clean sheets.
He also made his Champions League debut with Malaga, playing for Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. He left Malaga in 2017, after playing 36 games for the club.
In 2017, Ochoa signed for Standard Liège, a Belgian club, where he became an undisputed starter and captain. He helped the club win the 2018 Belgian Cup and qualify for the Europa League.
He also won the Belgian Professional Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2018 and 2019. He played 96 games for Standard Liège, conceding 117 goals and keeping 34 clean sheets.
In 2019, Ochoa returned to Mexico and rejoined Club América, where he received a warm welcome from fans and staff. He won the 2019 Apertura with the club, his third league title with América.
He also reached the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League final, losing on penalties to Monterrey. He played 50 games for América in his second spell, conceding 58 goals and keeping 16 clean sheets.
In 2021, Ochoa returned to Europe and signed for Salernitana, an Italian club that had just been promoted to Serie A.
He became the first Mexican player to play in Italy’s top flight and the oldest goalkeeper to debut in Serie A at the age of 36. He has played 18 games for Salernitana so far, conceding 35 goals and keeping two clean sheets.
Ochoa is also a key player for the Mexico national team, for whom he has represented since 2005. He has played in four World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018), where he has made memorable saves, such as against Brazil in 2014 and Germany in 2018.
He has also played in six Gold Cups (2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2021), winning five and being named best goalkeeper on four occasions.
He also played in two Confederations Cups (2009 and 2017) and two Copa América Cups (2007 and 2016).
He is the most capped goalkeeper in the history of the Mexico national team with 118 appearances and the third most capped player, behind Claudio Suárez and Andrés Guardado.
Prize
Some of the awards that Guillermo Ochoa has won throughout his career are:
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2021
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best Goalkeeper: 2009, 2015, 2019
- MX Tournaments: Clausura 2005, Clausura 2006, Apertura 2019
- CONCACAF Champions Cup: 2006
- Belgian Cup: 2017-18
- FIFA Club World Cup Golden Glove: 2006
- Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year: 2011-12
- Belgian Professional Goalkeeper of the Year: 2017-18, 2018-19
- CONCACAF Team of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- IFFHS CONCACAF Men’s Team of the Decade: 2011-2020
Argumentative
Guillermo Ochoa has faced a number of controversies during his career, mainly related to doping allegations and transfer issues. In 2011, he was one of five Mexican players to test positive for clenbuterol, a banned substance, during the Gold Cup.
He was suspended from the tournament but was later cleared of the charges after the positive test result was believed to have been caused by eating contaminated meat.
In 2014, he became involved in a legal dispute with Ajaccio, who refused to release him from his contract despite agreeing to do so.
He eventually won the case and was able to join Malaga. In 2019, he was criticized by some Club América fans for leaving the club to join Salernitana, a newly promoted team in Italy, instead of staying with the club that gave him his debut and a second chance.
Social media
- Instagram name: @yosoy8a
- Twitter Username: @yosoy8a
Net worth
Guillermo Ochoa has amassed an estimated net worth of $15 million, most of which he earned from his football career and endorsement deals.
