Mexico: a difficult start for Rafael Márquez

Rafael Márquez is still waiting for his first win in charge of Mexico. After two draws against Colombia (1-1) and Peru (1-1), the Mexico manager suffered his first defeat on Saturday against the United States (0-3).

His record after three matches therefore stands at two draws and one defeat. It is a difficult start to the tenure of the former Tri captain, whose appointment was nevertheless part of a project prepared since 2024.

A succession prepared since 2024

Márquez’s appointment was not the result of a decision made in haste. The Mexican Football Federation had anticipated his increased responsibilities as part of its Project 2030.

In August 2024, Javier Aguirre was appointed manager for the third time, with Rafael Márquez joining his staff as an assistant. The objective was notably to prepare the succession and ensure continuity through to the 2030 World Cup.

Márquez therefore worked alongside Aguirre for nearly two years, taking part in the national team’s daily work and gradually getting to know the group he would later lead.

The succession became official on July 8, 2026, a few days after Mexico’s elimination by England (2-3) in the World Cup round of 16. The Federation then handed control of the Tri to Márquez, in line with the project prepared since his arrival on Aguirre’s staff.

A different context from the one Aguirre left behind

Márquez takes charge of a national team that had just come through a relatively strong spell under Javier Aguirre.

During his third stint in charge of Mexico, Aguirre won 22 of his 37 matches, recording nine draws and six defeats. Under his leadership, Mexico also won the 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League and the 2025 Gold Cup.

At the 2026 World Cup, the coach led the Tri to three wins in three group-stage matches, a first in the history of the Mexican national team.

Márquez has therefore inherited a team that remains competitive, but which must prepare for the next cycle while gradually integrating new players.

A tenure still in the evaluation phase

For his first camps, Márquez chose to conduct numerous trials. Several young players were called up, and different combinations were tested during the September and October friendly matches.

The results are nevertheless difficult to defend. Mexico has not won any of its first three matches and has just suffered a heavy defeat against the United States (0-3).

The record is therefore negative, even if Márquez still has too little evidence to draw definitive conclusions. The next objective will be to turn this period of experimentation into a team capable of quickly returning to winning ways, while preparing Mexico for the cycle leading up to the 2030 World Cup.

Nouya M'toama

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Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.

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