Marquez To Lead Mexico After Aguirre Backs Him Following World Cup Exit To England

Mexico’s World Cup journey ended with a 3-2 loss to England at the Estadio Azteca, despite long spells of pressure and numerical superiority, as Javier Aguirre’s final match in charge brought more last-16 frustration and set the stage for Rafael Marquez to assume the head coach role.

England advanced to the quarter-finals after Jude Bellingham struck twice before half-time and Harry Kane converted a penalty, with Thomas Tuchel’s side surviving 48 minutes with 10 players following Jarell Quansah’s dismissal, while Mexico responded through Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez but could not force extra time.

Quansah received a red card for a high challenge on Jesus Gallardo, yet England held firm under intense pressure, as Mexico dominated possession and territory in front of a loud Azteca crowd but struggled to turn control into clear openings during a relentless second half that extended their quarter-final wait.

Mexico finished with a 66.9% share of the ball and had 71.7% possession after the interval, while they also completed 189 passes in the attacking third compared to England’s 59, reflecting long periods spent around the visitors’ penalty area without a decisive final action.

Shot numbers underlined the pattern too, with Mexico attempting 20 efforts to England’s six, and Jimenez producing eight of those attempts alone, a tally exceeded for Mexico at a World Cup only by Luis Chavez’s nine shots against Saudi Arabia in 2022 since detailed records began in 1966.

Despite 52 crosses into the area against just four from England and heavy territorial pressure, Mexico produced only five passes that pierced the final English defensive line, so many of their deliveries were cleared by a deep block as Tuchel’s team mounted what became a sustained rearguard effort.

The defeat added another last-16 exit to Mexico’s World Cup record, with El Tri now eliminated at that stage in eight of the last nine editions, the exception being 2022 when they failed to reach the knockout rounds, although this tournament did bring their first knockout win since 1986.

Mexico’s long-standing dominance at the Estadio Azteca in competitive fixtures also suffered, as this was the first competitive home defeat for 13 years, since losing to Honduras in qualification for the 2014 World Cup, and the first occasion they conceded three goals there since a 4-3 win over Brazil in August 1999.

Attention now moves to Rafael Marquez, the former Barcelona defender who earned 147 caps for Mexico and worked as Aguirre’s assistant during this campaign, with the federation set to hand Marquez the task of building on a squad that pushed England hard yet again fell at the last-16 hurdle.

Aguirre expressed full faith in the incoming coach and suggested Mexico are in safe hands under Marquez, saying: "I wish him the best. He is more than capable, and he will do better than me."

The match and its statistics highlighted both Mexico’s capacity to control strong opponents and the recurring difficulty in turning pressure into progression, while Aguirre’s departure and Marquez’s promotion mark a clear transition for El Tri as they assess this home World Cup and prepare for future major tournaments.