The defeat against England in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup marked the end of Javier Aguirre's third stage as head of the Mexico team. After once again falling short of the quarterfinals, the strategist confirmed his farewell and left the way ready for Rafael Márquez to lead the new project with his sights set on the 2030 World Cup.

Javier Aguirre closes his third stage with the Mexican national team

After the 2-3 elimination against England, Javier Aguirre assumed responsibility for the result and assured that it was the specific errors that ended up condemning his team: “We need to know how not to make mistakes in key moments,” he commented.

The coach also left a message of self-criticism when accepting the defeat: "The dream ends, but we are close to the greats. The players win games, the coaches lose them. I lost the game," he commented.

The strategist recognized the quality of the rival and explained that facing a team of that level requires a perfect match: "We made mistakes three times and we paid dearly. Against a rival from the big leagues like England, you must do everything perfectly and the mistakes eliminated us," said the Vasco.

Aguirre hands the project to Rafael Márquez

Beyond the elimination, Javier Aguirre assured that he leaves a solid foundation for the next World Cup process and expressed total confidence in the work that Rafael Márquez will do.

"Falling like this hurts a lot. The 26 made me very happy. Tomorrow we celebrate two months together. They must leave with their heads held high. The criticism must be directed at the coach. The players gave their all on the field. It couldn't be today," he said.

The coach revealed that he already spoke with his assistant during the process and stressed that he has the arguments to assume the position.

"We are two people from Mexican football, we have been out of the country for 15, 20 years. I had him as a player and now as a teammate. He is more than capable. Of this team that today we finish a journey in the World Cup, there are many redeemable people. We have more people in Europe at a good level. Except for two or three who due to age will not be able to be in the next World Cup, I hope they do. I had nothing but words of gratitude for Rafa, I put myself at his disposal, I will always be close for whatever He wants to because he is a valuable boy, a Mexican, a great coach, he is going to show it, you will see. I hope he does better than what we were able to do with me at the helm,” he said excitedly.

“I say goodbye to the national team with great pride”

Vasco also took the opportunity to say goodbye to the Mexican fans after directing five games during the 2026 World Cup.

"These five games were unforgettable. I say goodbye to the national team, I leave with great pride," he said.

Aguirre considered that Mexican soccer has the necessary tools to continue growing and trusts that the new coaching staff can take the next step.

"We are doing well, we have a coach for four years, a good team, we have a big budget. All the elements to take that little step that we are still missing. We have to step aside so that the good ones can come: Rafa and his group," he noted.

When will Rafael Márquez debut as coach of Mexico?

Although the Mexican Football Federation has not yet made the appointment of Rafael Márquez official, everything indicates that the former defender will take over as national coach once the 2026 World Cup is over.

According to the international calendar, his debut could occur during the next FIFA Date, scheduled from September 21 to October 6, 2026.

In that window, the Mexican team will play friendly matches, since it has no official commitments scheduled. For now, the Mexican Soccer Federation has not confirmed the rivals that the team will face, but these matches outline the beginning of a new stage with the aim of building a competitive squad heading to the 2030 World Cup.