Mexico is set for a throwback in its essentially meaningless World Cup group match against Czechia as it turns to 40-year-old keeper Guillermo Ochoa, who will be his 153rd and quite possibly final appearance for El Tri.
On the other end of the age spectrum, the youngest player in the World Cup, 17-year-old Gilberto Mora, could see time off the bench as Mexico assesses a potential future face of the franchise.
Win or lose, Mexico is locked into the bracket as the champion of Group A, and this game won’t affect their opponent for the knockout round opener on Tuesday, June 30.
Gilberto Mora makes debut in 2026 World Cup opener
When Mora came off the bench in the 65th minute of Mexico’s World Cup opener, he became the youngest Mexican ever to play in a World Cup game at 17 years and 240 days old. The previous record was held by Manuel “Chaquetas” Rosas in 1930. when he played as an 18-year-old.
Will Guillermo ‘Memo’ Ochoa start against Czechia
It’s unclear if the 40-year-old Mexican keeper, Guillermo Ochoa, will start against Czechia in what will be his sixth World Cup. He would join Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players with that distinction.
He has been backing up Mexico’s No. 1 keeper Raúl Rangel, but with this game being meaningless for Group A champions Mexico, Ochoa could be given the chance to make history.
Gilberto Mora Mexican soccer player
The 17-year-old Mora came up through Tijuana’s system as an attacking midfielder and joined their senior club in 2024. He has made 50 appearances and scored eight goals for the Xolos.
He began playing for Mexican age-group national teams in 2022 with the U15s. He made his senior club debut in a friendly in January 2025, making him, at 16, the youngest player in national team history. His first meaningful matches came i in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
He is the son of former professional player Gilberto Mora, who is now the U17 and academy coach for Tijuana.
Where is Gilberto Mora from?
Mora was born in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, a city in Chiapas, basically on the opposite side of the country from Tijuana.
Gilberto Mora age
Mora was born on Oct. 14, 2008, making him 17 years, 253 days for the Czechia game.
Guillermo ‘Memo’ Ochoa age, background
The 40-year-old keeper Guillermo Ochoa came up with Club America, starting there as a 10-year-old in 1995. He made his senior club debut for Club America in 2004 at the age of 18.
He has played for 10 teams across his career and is now with AEL Limassol of the Cypriot League (Cyprus is an island nation in the Mediterranean), where he began playing in 2025.
Ochoa made his Mexican senior club debut in 2005 and was on World Cup squads in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and now 2026. He became a regular starter at the 2014 World Cup and has 152 appearances for El Tri. That ranks him third in Mexico’s history behind Andrés Guardado (181 appearances) and Claudio Suarez (177).
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Are Mexico’s Guillermo ‘Memo’ Ochoa, Gilberto Mora playing today?
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
