SOCCER: Mexico goalkeeping great Ochoa announces retirement

Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has announced his retirement from professional football, bringing the curtain down on a career that spanned more than two decades.

The 41-year-old confirmed his decision on social media on Tuesday after appearing at his sixth World Cup.

Ochoa came on for the final 12 minutes of Mexico's 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic, soaking up the applause from fans at the Azteca Stadium, where he made his senior debut for Club America in 2004.

"I gave it my all; I left everything on the field for my clubs and the national team, and today I hang up my gloves," Ochoa wrote on social media.

"Being a goalkeeper means knowing you might wait 90 minutes for a single moment when everything depends on you. And when that moment arrives, you cannot hesitate."

Ochoa first represented Mexico on the world stage at Germany 2006 and went on to feature at South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, where he famously saved a penalty from Poland's Robert Lewandowski.

During his 22-year career at club level, Ochoa has played in France, Spain, Belgium, Italy and Portugal.

-Reporting by Paras J. Haji in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra/Reuters