‘He will do better than me’ – Aguirre backs Marquez after Mexico reign ends with England defeat

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Javier Aguirre backed Rafael Marquez to build on his achievements after seeing his reign as Mexico head coach ended by a dramatic 3-2 defeat to England at the World Cup.

El Tri’s wait for a first quarter-final appearance since 1986 goes on after they failed to find an equaliser versus 10 men, amid a raucous atmosphere at the Estadio Azteca.

England had to play 48 minutes (including stoppage time) with a numerical disadvantage following Jarell Quansah’s high lunge on Jesus Gallardo, but Jude Bellingham’s first-half brace and Harry Kane’s penalty ultimately proved enough to send them through to the last eight.

Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez were on target for Mexico, who racked up 20 shots to England’s six as Thomas Tuchel’s team were forced into a heroic rearguard action.

The tournament co-hosts had a 66.9% possession share, including 71.7% of the ball in the second half, and completed 189 passes in the final third compared to England’s 59.

Aguirre’s team flung 52 crosses into the area, compared to just four for England, but despite their dominance of the ball, they only managed five passes that broke the Three Lions’ final defensive line.

Aguirre, who had already announced his departure in advance of the tournament – his third in charge of his country after 2002 and 2010 – expressed pride in his players and took responsibility for Mexico’s elimination.

“It hurts a lot, but the 26 players made me very happy, they must leave with their heads held high,” he told reporters. 

“The criticism should go to the coach. They left their skin on the field, if we have to point fingers, it is the coach. Today it could not be, today it was me who lost the game. 

“The pity is that we could not achieve one more night of joy, I thank the Mexican public, the whole country… these five games were unforgettable. 

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 6, 2026

“I would have liked to say goodbye to my people with a victory, to win five games in our territory. 

“I don’t have many more words, I’m not going to justify anything, a defeat is a defeat, they scored three goals with four or five shots, we made 20 shots and only five or six on target.

“We have to recognise that the opponent managed things better, that they didn’t make a mistake. We wish them a good World Cup.”

2013 e 1999 – Il #Messico non perdeva una partita ufficiale allo stadio Azteca dal 2013 contro l’Honduras (qualificazioni ai Mondiali 2014) e ha subito 3 gol in una sfida in questo impianto per la prima volta dall’agosto 1999 (vittoria per 4-3 contro il Brasile). Stregato. pic.twitter.com/knRzT22R0k

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) July 6, 2026

Jimenez alone had eight shots, two more than the entire England team combined. Only Luis Chavez – with nine against Saudi Arabia in 2022 – has had more for Mexico in a World Cup game (since records began in 1966).

Former Barcelona defender Marquez – who won 147 caps for Mexico as a player and served as Aguirre’s assistant – will now take the reins.

And Aguirre expects the iconic former centre-back to do an outstanding job, saying: “I wish him the best. He is more than capable, and he will do better than me.”

Mexico have now suffered a round-of-16 exit at eight of the last nine World Cups (going out in the group stage in 2022), albeit this tournament was the first to see them win a knockout tie since they reached the last eight on home soil 40 years ago. 

The defeat was Mexico’s first at the Azteca in a competitive match for 13 years, since losing to Honduras in a qualifier for the 2014 World Cup, while it was the first time they had conceded three goals at the venue since a 4-3 triumph over Brazil in August 1999.

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