MEXICO CITY — Javier Aguirre wrapped up his third and final tenure as Mexico’s head coach on Sunday with a sense of pride, even as the pain of a 3-2 elimination loss to England stung deeply. Before departing, he threw his full support behind Rafa Marquez to carry the program into the next chapter.
Aguirre had already signaled before the tournament concluded that he would step away from the role. In the aftermath of the defeat, he pointed to Marquez — a former Mexico captain who worked alongside him during the tournament — as more than ready to take the reins of a squad that had reignited the nation’s passion for its national team.
The loss came at the Azteca Stadium, where England secured a spot in the quarter-finals despite a fierce late charge from the home side. The match itself was pushed back an hour due to poor weather conditions in the area surrounding the stadium.
“I would have liked to say goodbye to my people with a victory. That hurts,” Aguirre told reporters. “We tried.”
England built their lead through a rapid-fire brace from Jude Bellingham, before Julian Quinones pulled one back for Mexico. Harry Kane converted a penalty in the second half after England had been reduced to 10 men, and though Raul Jimenez also converted a late spot-kick for Mexico, it was not enough to change the outcome.
The atmosphere inside the Azteca was electric as the home crowd — which Aguirre has frequently called Mexico’s “12th player” — roared the team on in the closing minutes, chanting “yes we can” as Mexico pressed for an equalizer. England, however, held on and will now face Norway in Miami next Saturday in the quarter-finals.
“The players need to leave with their heads held high,” Aguirre said. “Today it could not be. We failed to capitalise, but I want to thank them all.”
Reflecting on his time in charge, Aguirre said the experience restored something important within the team and its connection to supporters across the country.
“I leave with a lot of pride,” he said. “These players made me very happy. We recovered the sense of belonging and the identity of this team.”
Marquez, who represented Mexico at five separate World Cups as a player, is widely expected to take over the project following Aguirre’s exit.
“I wish him the best,” Aguirre said of Marquez. “He is more than capable, and he will do better than me.”
