During the afternoon of this Thursday, June 11, the Mexican team announced that its starting goalkeeper for the first game of the 2026 World Cupagainst South Africa, it will be Raúl Rangela 26-year-old goalkeeper who plays for Club Deportivo Guadalajara, so William Ochoa He was sent to the bench by technical director Javier Aguirre.
Mexico, as one of the three host countries of this World Cup edition, will have the responsibility of competing in the opening match of the World Cup, in contrast to his participation 16 years ago, when the tri He also starred in the first match against South Africaalthough on that occasion the game was played in Johannesburg.
Now, the Mexico City Stadium will be the scene of the opening of the most important national team tournament in the world, where one of the big absences in the field it will be Memo Ochoawho, in addition to being an emblematic goalkeeper of the Tricolorhas been considered in recent days a legend of the Mexican team.
According to what was stated by the Mexican coach, Guillermo Ochoa was relegated from Mexico’s goal because Raúl Rangel “he’s in a better moment”so that the goalkeeper of the Chivas will be the starter thanks to his outstanding semester with the team Guadalajarawhere the trust of the technical director for these matches.
A technical decision due to the size of the match
According to the Mexican coach Javier Aguirrein recent years the Mexican goal has gone through a process of renewal and Guillermo Ochoa has lost ground among the Tri starters. However, his call for the World Cup gained strength after the injury of Luis MalagonAmerica’s goalkeeper who was fighting for the position.
The injury of Luis Malagón, who broke his Achilles tendon At the end of April, he allowed Guillermo Ochoa, undisputed holder of the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups, will arrive at the 2026 World Cup with the hope of taking his place again. However, the goalkeeper 40 years It was never Javier Aguirre’s first choice.
In your sixth World Cup, Ochoa will be the third goalkeeper of Mexico, behind Raúl Rangel (Guadalajara) and Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna), although various Mexican media announced the possibility of a tribute after a career of two decades, because the former América goalkeeper is in the final stretch of his career.
Despite this, the goalkeeper AEL Limassolof the National League Cypruscontinues to be considered one of the greatest figures in Mexican soccer, given that he starred in some of the most outstanding performances in Mexico’s recent history in the World Cups, especially against Brazil in 2014 and against Germany in 2018.
Ochoa: The most important piece
Faced with this scenario, according to the Mexican technical director Javier Aguirre, although Ochoa is not holder in the match against South Africait’s still a piece important in the Mexican team, both for his experience as for his leadership within a team made up mostly of youths who will debut in a World Cup.
Despite his last discreet season in Cyprus, Ochoa will continue to be one of the most outstanding goalkeepers in the history of the Mexican national team. In addition, he equaled the absolute record by registering six World Cups in his professional career, a milestone that he shares only with figures like the Argentine Lionel Messi and the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go! 🫶#SomosMexico pic.twitter.com/UF47hYo9nk— National Team (@miseleccionmx) June 11, 2026