As has been the case for the past four decades, Mexico woke up this Monday with the same feeling of having been eliminated from the World Cup, though with the hope that Rafael Márquez, the successor to head coach Javier Aguirre, will be the one to reap the rewards in 2030 of what “El Vasco’s” team sowed.
The former Barcelona player will attempt to lead this team through a complete process—an adventure that is practically unheard of for a national team known for replacing its coaches at the whim of its executives and commercial commitments. This has been a hallmark of Mexico since 1986: the lack of a long-term plan that builds on the work laid out by previous coaches.
The coaching changes marked a process full of ups and downs
Although there is talk that the 2026 World Cup has sparked high expectations, the truth is that it has been fraught with inconsistencies ever since Argentine coach Gerardo Martino failed to lead the Mexican national team to the second round of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Mexican soccer officials floundered before turning to Aguirre as a last-minute savior to ensure a respectable World Cup performance.
They turned to Argentine Diego Cocca, who was hired in February 2023, and fired him just a few months later.
They appointed Jaime Lozano as interim coach—the man who led Mexico to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, but who was fired despite winning the 2023 Gold Cup (Filed under: Rafael Márquez Takes Over El Tri).
Mexico’s history repeated itself, and the generational shift remains pending
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Faced with time constraints, they turned to Javier Aguirre, who had already coached El Tri in the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, with the same result:
Elimination in the round of 16.
Mexico’s performance in this same round against England last Sunday mirrors its performances at Russia 2018, Brazil 2014, South Africa 2010, Germany 2006, Korea-Japan 2002, France 1998, and the United States 1994.
As a classic saying in Mexican soccer goes: “We played like never before, but lost as always.”
Talking about a “golden generation” that will bring about a change in Mexican soccer is also out of the question.
Of the 26 players named to the World Cup roster, only five are under 23 years old:
Gilberto Mora, 17; Mateo Chávez, 22; Brian Gutiérrez, 22; Obed Vargas, 20; and Armando González, 22 (Filed under: Rafael Márquez Takes Over the National Team).
The talent is there, but the project is still in the hands of management
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What’s great about this forecast is the work done by Argentine Andrés Lillini, director of Mexico’s youth national teams.
Someone who has made it their mission to find talent with Mexican roots around the world.
What’s bad for the national team’s future are the officials who run it; the fact that players have million-dollar contracts in the United States to play against teams ranked below 20th or 30th in the world is a major temptation for them not to test the team against powerhouses like the one that eliminated them in the round of 16.
The worst part for Mexican soccer is that, based on the pattern that repeats every four years, neither Márquez nor Lillini has the power to ensure continuity, which is needed to improve and break through the round of 16 barrier.
When commercial interests keep the money-making machine running exactly as it is now (Filed under: Rafael Márquez Takes Over the National Team).
With information from EFE
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