The failure of veteran Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa’s transfer to Spanish club Burgos was not the biggest event on the closing day of the European transfer window on Monday, but it was certainly the strangest.

On the same day that English international defender Marc Guehi’s transfer from Crystal Palace to Liverpool fell through at the last moment, Ochoa’s career took a surprising turn when he suddenly backed out of joining Burgos, a club playing in the second division.

After ending his contract with his previous Portuguese club Aves, the famous Mexican keeper became a free agent, and Burgos seemed like a perfect opportunity to continue playing in Europe.

The 40-year-old goalkeeper traveled to the club’s base in northwest Spain on his way to officially sign the contract.

According to Spanish media, especially the website “Fichajes,” Burgos had already prepared an official presentation for Ochoa, but things turned upside down due to the goalkeeper’s own intervention.

In a sudden development, negotiations stumbled at the last moment when Ochoa requested to review one last clause in the contract, then the shocking twist: the goalkeeper announced he would go out to buy a cup of coffee before finalizing the agreement.

What started as a simple idea turned into a final departure.

According to Spanish journalist Sergio Gonzalez Bolgar, Ochoa never returned from that coffee break and has not answered any calls from the club since leaving their headquarters.

Gonzalez commented on the “X” platform: “The deal was complete. Ochoa arrived at Burgos. He passed the medical (successfully). Entered the offices. Indicated there was one clause in the contract that needed adjustment (the deal was not yet canceled). Then he went out to buy coffee… and disappeared. He did not return and does not answer calls.”

Burgos did not waste time dealing with this embarrassing situation and quickly found a replacement.

In the last hour of the transfer window, the club announced the signing of goalkeeper Jesus Ruiz from Racing de Ferrol.

With Ochoa’s sudden disappearance, his future remains uncertain, and his search for a new club will continue at the start of the new season.

This situation is far from ideal for the Mexican keeper, especially after clear warnings from Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, who confirmed that players inactive at club level will not be considered for the national team in upcoming competitions, most importantly the 2026 World Cup.

Ochoa has 151 caps with his national team and has participated in five previous World Cups: 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022.