Javier Aguirre takes over the Mexican national team with Rafael Márquez as assistant for the 2026 World Cup

The experienced coach will be supported by former World Cup player Rafael Marquez as his assistant. Aguirre replaces Jaime Lozano after his dismissal.

Javier Aguirre has been confirmed as the new coach of the Mexican national football team, with former player Rafael Márquez as his Technical assistantThis new team will lead the national team until the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada. The decision was made after the dismissal of Jaime Lozano, who failed to advance with the team in the Copa América.

The director of the Mexican men’s teams, Duiliano Davino, explained in a video the reason for choosing Aguirre and Márquez. “The objectives and needs of the national team project have always been clear, so, thinking in the medium and long term, we found the profiles that we know will contribute to the project,” said Davino.

Rumors of Aguirre and Marquez’s possible arrivals on the Mexican bench intensified last week, following Mexico’s elimination in the group stage of the Copa America under Jaime Lozano. Lozano, 45, was fired on July 16 after turning down an offer to become Aguirre’s assistant with the promise of returning as head coach for the 2030 cycle.

Lozano’s departure was controversial, as although Mexico was eliminated from the Copa América, it was due to a missed penalty against Venezuela, an error that was not directly attributed to Lozano. During his tenure, Lozano had managed to win the Gold Cup and was in charge of the team for just over a year.

Crisis in Mexican football

The Mexican national team has been going through a crisis of results, exacerbated by the elimination in the group stage of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. This led to the departure of Argentine coach Gerardo Martino, followed by the brief period of Diego Cocca, who managed only seven games before being replaced by Lozano.

Mexican soccer officials have promised that the Aguirre and Marquez project is focused on the medium and long term. According to the plans, Marquez will take over as head coach after the 2026 World Cup.

Javier Aguirre, who has coached Mexico on two previous occasions (2002 and 2010), returns with hopes of improving results. Aguirre, considered one of the best Mexican coaches internationally, has had success in the Spanish league, saving teams such as Mallorca from relegation and leading them to compete at a high level.

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Rafael Márquez, meanwhile, began his coaching career at Barça Atlètic, a reserve team of FC Barcelona, ​​and has demonstrated his ability by almost getting the team promoted to the Spanish second division. Márquez is one of Mexico’s most iconic players, having played in five World Cups and won multiple titles with Barcelona.