DOHA, Qatar — What do Mexico’s Andres Guardado and Guillermo Ochoa have in common with footballing greats like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi?
Like the Ballon d’Or winners, El Tri‘s veterans are now part of an incredibly exclusive selection of players that have been called-up to five World Cups — a record no player has yet to break.
Along with Ronaldo and Messi, Guardado and Ochoa join the likes of Germany’s Lothar Matthaus, Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon and Mexican icons Rafael Marquez and Antonio Carbajal, who have all taken part in five tournaments each. For both Guardado and Ochoa, it’s an astonishing stretch that began with the 2006 World Cup.
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But as Mexico prepare to begin their World Cup campaign in Qatar on Tuesday, there’s more ambivalence from fans and media instead of excitement about the two veterans and several other members of Mexico’s old guard.
After the announcement of coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino’s final World Cup roster earlier this month — with an average age 28.5 — eyebrows were raised when there was not a single player under the age of 23, including noteworthy exclusions like Feyenoord‘s Santiago Gimenez and Braga‘s Diego Lainez.
There is no lack of experience throughout the Mexican squad, but there are also lingering worries about whether some of the players might be past the peak of their abilities. Coupled with just three wins in their last nine matches in all competitions, Mexico’s form has many fans and pundits wondering how resilient this squad will be in Qatar.
