Mexico’s most successful World Cup campaign in the modern era ended in heartbreak at the Estadio Azteca on Sunday, as a Jude Bellingham-inspired England fought back to win 3-2 in the round of 16. The co-hosts, who had swept through their group with a perfect nine points and then beaten Ecuador 2-0 in the new round of 32, were undone by two Bellingham goals in the space of 90 first-half seconds. The defeat denied Mexico a first quarter-final appearance since 1986, but the tournament still marked a historic breakthrough: the team won a knockout match for the first time in four decades and finished ninth overall, their highest placing since the expanded format was introduced.

The run was the culmination of Javier Aguirre’s third spell in charge, which began in August 2024 after the federation sacked Jaime Lozano following a group-stage exit at the Copa América. Aguirre, 67, restored order and delivered silverware, winning the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup. His 37-match tenure produced 22 wins, nine draws and six defeats, with the team conceding just 28 goals. In the World Cup, Mexico became the first side in the nation’s history to win all three group matches, defeating South Korea, and then navigated the inaugural round of 32 with a composed 2-0 victory over Ecuador. The campaign, viewed from Mexico City, was widely celebrated as a step forward, even if the familiar last-16 barrier remained.

Even before the final whistle, the Mexican Football Federation had set in motion a succession plan that had been telegraphed since Aguirre’s appointment. On Wednesday, the federation confirmed that Rafael Márquez, the 47-year-old former captain and Aguirre’s assistant throughout the cycle, would take over as head coach. The move is the centrepiece of ‘Proyecto Deportivo 2030’, a long-term strategy designed to ensure continuity. Márquez, who won 147 caps and lifted the 1999 Confederations Cup, had cut his coaching teeth with Barcelona’s reserve team before joining the national set-up. In his first address, he pledged to “accelerate, not brake” and to work closely with youth teams to elevate the Mexican player.

Márquez inherits a squad that has climbed back into the top 10 of the FIFA rankings and will make his debut during the September international window, with friendlies expected in the United States. His first competitive test comes in November, when Mexico enter the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals as one of the region’s top four seeds. The road to the 2030 World Cup, to be staged in Spain, Portugal and Morocco, now begins with a coach whose playing career included five World Cups and a Confederations Cup title, but whose managerial credentials will be scrutinised from the first whistle.