Javier Aguirre has stepped down as Mexico manager after the 2-0 World Cup round-of-16 defeat to England on Sunday night, and Rafael Marquez has taken over immediately. The speed of the change makes it look abrupt, but the succession had already been put in place. Aguirre's contract was due to expire at the end of this summer's tournament, and Marquez had already been lined up before the exit.

Aguirre returned for a third spell in 2024 and leaves with 21 wins from 34 matches. That is a respectable record, even if the ending was flat.

Aguirre's exit after the England defeat

The hard fact is simple enough: England's 2-0 win ended Mexico's World Cup, and it also ended Aguirre's latest stint in charge. Speaking to talksport.com, he said: "I would have liked to say goodbye to my people with a victory. That hurts. We tried. The players need to leave with their heads held high. Today it could not be. We failed to capitalise, but I want to thank them all. I leave with a lot of pride. These players made me very happy. We recovered the sense of belonging and the identity of this team."

That quote fits the record he leaves behind. Winning 21 of 34 matches is not the return of a coach who lost the dressing room or drifted through the job. Mexico were competitive under him, but knockout exits usually settle these decisions quickly, especially when the contract is already close to its end.

Some reports treated the departure as an immediate step-down after elimination, while others framed it more as the point where an expected change clicked into place. In practical terms, both descriptions lead to the same outcome: Aguirre is gone, and the handover happened straight away.

Marquez was already the next man

The important detail here is that Mexico were not scrambling. Rafael Marquez had already been part of Aguirre's backroom staff this summer, and he had been announced as the new manager in April ahead of the tournament. This was a reset, but not a blind one.

Marquez made that clear in comments to SI.com: "First of all, I want to express my deep gratitude to Javier [Aguirre]. He gave me his trust of being part of his staff. It's been a learning experience which was also the intended aim. The next chapter in our long-term project begins now."

That language matters more than any official slogan. Marquez is presenting this as continuity, and the timeline supports him. Aguirre also backed the choice, telling SI.com: "I had him as a player and now as a teammate, he's more than qualified. I had nothing but words of gratitude for Rafa, I'm at his disposition, I'll always be close for whatever he needs because he's a valuable guy, Mexican, and a great manager, he's going to prove it, you'll see."

There is still a step up involved. Working on a staff is one thing; taking the national team outright after a World Cup exit is another. Marquez does at least arrive with a real coaching sample from Barcelona Atletic, where he recorded 40 wins, 21 draws and 21 losses in 82 matches.

What Mexico are really choosing

The bigger call from Mexico is not just about changing the face on the touchline. It is about choosing continuity over rupture after a disappointing exit. That looks sensible. Aguirre's third spell was solid rather than transformative, and the federation had already built the bridge to Marquez instead of waiting for a crisis.

Mexico had just beaten Ecuador 2-0 in Mexico vs Ecuador to reach the knockout stage, so this was not a team arriving at the last 16 in open disorder. The defeat to England still forced the decision, but the planning had been done beforehand.

That leaves Marquez with the job immediately and with no settling-in period to hide behind. Mexico's World Cup is over, Aguirre's contract has run to its endpoint in practice, and the next phase has already started.

FAQ

Why did Javier Aguirre leave Mexico after the England match?

Aguirre stepped down after Mexico were beaten 2-0 by England in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday night. His contract was already due to expire at the end of the summer tournament, so the defeat became the point where the change was made official.

Was Rafael Marquez already lined up to replace Javier Aguirre?

The evidence points that way. Marquez had already been working on Aguirre’s staff this summer and had been announced as the new manager in April ahead of the tournament. Some coverage framed it as an immediate post-exit switch, but it looks much more like a planned succession than a last-minute decision.

How successful was Javier Aguirre in his latest Mexico spell?

Mexico won 21 of their 34 matches under Aguirre in his third spell after returning in 2024. That record was solid enough to avoid calling the stint a failure, but the World Cup exit to England ended it earlier than Mexico would have wanted.

What coaching experience does Rafael Marquez bring to the Mexico job?

Marquez arrives with an 82-match spell at Barcelona Atletic behind him, where he recorded 40 wins, 21 draws and 21 losses. He had also been part of Aguirre’s backroom staff during the tournament, which gives Mexico continuity as well as a change of manager.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 7 outlets. How we work →