MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s football federation announced Wednesday that Rafael Marquez has been named the country’s new national team head coach, taking over from Javier Aguirre following Mexico’s exit from the World Cup.
Marquez, 47, spent the World Cup campaign working alongside Aguirre as his assistant. During that tournament, Mexico achieved a milestone not seen in 40 years — advancing past the knockout stage — before ultimately falling to England 3-2 in the round of 16.
The new appointment is a continuation of the federation’s “Project 2030” initiative, which was first unveiled in August 2024. At that time, Marquez was brought on as Aguirre’s assistant with the clear intention that he would eventually step into the top role.
Aguirre’s third tenure leading the Mexican national team came to a close with an overall record of 22 victories, nine draws, and six defeats across 37 matches. His time in charge also included a flawless group stage performance at the World Cup, going three wins from three games. Additionally, Mexico claimed the 2024-2025 CONCACAF Nations League title and the 2025 Gold Cup under his leadership.
As a player, Marquez had a distinguished career representing Mexico, captaining the national side at five separate World Cups and earning 148 international appearances. He also won the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup championships in both 2003 and 2011.
Before joining the Mexican national team’s coaching staff, Marquez gained managerial experience with Spanish clubs RSD Alcala and Barcelona Atletic. He later joined Aguirre’s staff during the World Cup qualifying campaign before transitioning to his new role as head coach.
