The countdown to the 2026 World Cup in North America has begun, and with it, a historic race that could redefine the tournament’s record books. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are currently the frontrunners to achieve something never seen in the 96-year history of the competition: appearing in six different World Cups.
However, the six-star club was expected to have a third member. Guillermo Ochoa, who—like Messi and Ronaldo—has been present at every edition since Germany 2006, is now facing reports that he may be left out of Javier Aguirre’s final plans for the Mexican national team.
Should Ochoa fail to represent his country this summer, the 40-year-old goalkeeper would remain at five participations, leaving the path clear for Messi and Ronaldo to become the only players in history to reach the six-tournament milestone.
The battle for Mexico’s goal
Reports from Mexico indicate that Raúl ‘Tala’ Rangel (Chivas) and Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna) have virtually secured their spots following the devastating Achilles injury to Luis Angel Malagon, which has ruled the expected starter out of the World Cup.
Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico looks on before a friendly against Belgium. (Getty Images)
The battle for the final goalkeeping slot appears to be between veteran Jose Antonio Rodriguez (Xolos) and Ochoa. Currently, Rodriguez seems to have the edge in the eyes of the coaching staff.
“All I know is that Javier [Aguirre] has had talks with Antonio; whether he will call him up, I don’t know,” a member of Aguirre’s staff told Mexican outlet Record. “Personally, Antonio is a goalkeeper with good stats and the level to be at the World Cup, but Javier has the final word”.
Messi and Cristiano chasing the all-time scoring throne
The appearance record isn’t the only history on the line for these legends. Both Messi and Ronaldo are likely entering their final World Cup and have one last chance to become the competition’s all-time top scorer.
Achieving this record will be no easy feat for either player, as Germany’s Miroslav Klose continues to hold the all-time mark with 16 goals. Messi is currently the closest to catching the legendary striker, sitting at 13 goals after his dominant performance in Qatar, where he netted seven goals.
Ronaldo, on the other hand, faces a much steeper climb. With 8 career World Cup goals, the Portuguese captain would need to double his current tally in a single tournament to equal Klose—a monumental challenge even for one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the sport.
