Goalkeeper Guillermo "Memo" Ochoa, 39, said he hopes his move to Portuguese Primeira Liga team AVS will increase his chances of being called up by Mexico for a record sixth World Cup in 2026.
No male football player has participated in six World Cups. Brazil midfielder Formiga holds the record for Women's World Cup participations with seven.
New head Mexico national team coach Javier Aguirre left out veteran players such as Ochoa, Raúl Jiménez and Hirving "Chucky" Lozano in his first 26-man call-up for the Mexican national team for two September friendlies.
Mexico beat New Zealand 3-0 on Saturday. They face Canada on Tuesday (at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas). The roster marks a continued absence for the aforementioned high-profile players that were previously left out of the Copa América roster.
Ochoa said he is confident he can make a bid for a return to El Tri and contribute to the Portugal premier league club at the same time.
"The other players have always spoken highly about the level of play here in Portugal," Ochoa said of Mexico teammates Héctor Herrera, Diego Reyes, Miguel Layún and Jiménez.
"And for me the motivation is to continue to get to know this new league and to keep up the idea of making the Mexico national team in my hopes and to play in the next World Cup."
The September games are the first for Aguirre in his third run with the national team after previously coaching them in 2001-02 and 2009-10. Ochoa is Mexico's most capped goalkeeper with 150 appearances and, is among four Mexicans, along with Antonio Carbajal, Rafa Márquez and Andrés Guardado, to have participated in five World Cups.
Aguirre and his men will then face the United States national team in a Mexico-based friendly on Oct. 15 in Guadalajara's Estadio Akron.
In 2022, Ochoa joined Serie A side Salernitana on a free transfer in January 2023 before leaving at the end of last season. He joined Aves as a free agent earlier this month.
AVS are currently in 11th place in the Portuguese league, having accumulated one draw, one win and two losses in the four games they have played.
"I want to help Aves grow ," he said, adding that he hopes to make his club debut soon.