Rafa Márquez will take over as coach of the Mexico national team after elimination from the 2026 World Cup. The former Barcelona player will lead the full project toward the 2030 tournament.
Márquez was presented in July 2024 as assistant to Javier Aguirre and future coach of the national team for the 2030 World Cup. His debut is scheduled for September this year in the first post-tournament FIFA window.
The new coach has experience as sporting director of Atlas between 2018 and 2019. He later coached youth teams in Spain and obtained the UEFA Pro License in 2022. He also managed FC Barcelona Atlètic.
Aguirre commented on his successor: “Ojalá lo haga mejor que yo”. The Mexican national team has seen several coaching changes in recent years, including Diego Cocca and Jaime Lozano.
Among the players called up for the 2026 World Cup, five are under 23 years old. Márquez aims to build a long-term project with these talents.
