Rafael Márquez has been named the new head coach of the Mexican national football team, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) announced on Wednesday. The former Barcelona defender, 47, will take over from Javier Aguirre, leading the team through preparations for the 2030 World Cup.
Márquez, who served as Aguirre’s assistant coach from August 2024 until Mexico’s recent 3-2 round of 16 loss to England, was part of a succession plan that has been in place since 2024. Despite earlier speculation that the FMF might consider other candidates, the organization emphasized that Márquez’s appointment is intended to ensure continuity and strengthen team development moving forward. Although Mexico currently has no scheduled matches, Márquez is expected to make his managerial debut during the upcoming FIFA international window in late September and early October.
As a player, Márquez boasts one of the most decorated careers in Mexican football history. He represented Mexico in five World Cups, won the 1999 Confederations Cup, and secured Gold Cup titles in 2003 and 2011. His club achievements include a successful period in Europe, with Monaco and notably Barcelona, where he earned two UEFA Champions League titles and four La Liga championships. Domestically, he began and ended his career with Atlas and won back-to-back Liga MX titles with León.
Meanwhile, the round of 16 match between Mexico and England set a new English-language U.S. viewership record for a World Cup match not involving the United States. Fox reported that the game attracted an average audience of over 21.7 million viewers, surpassing the previous record of 16.7 million for the 2022 final between Argentina and France, with peak viewership reaching more than 25.7 million. The most-watched World Cup match in the U.S. remains the U.S.-Belgium game with 30 million viewers.
Elsewhere in the tournament, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) expressed strong dissatisfaction with officiating in Egypt’s 3-2 loss to Argentina, calling the refereeing "unfair and biased." Egypt appeared to have scored a second goal in the 58th minute, which was disallowed after Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review identified a foul by Marwan Attia. The EFA criticized the referee’s handling of the VAR system and vowed to defend the team’s interests.
In addition, France’s coach Didier Deschamps confirmed that FIFA denied an appeal regarding a yellow card shown to star player Michael Olise during France’s narrow win over Paraguay. The card, received late in the match following an altercation with Paraguay’s Matías Galarza, will remain in place. Should Olise receive another caution during France’s quarterfinal against Morocco, he would face suspension for a potential semifinal match.
In related news from the World Cup, Croatia’s coach Zlatko Dalic announced his departure following the nation’s 2-1 loss to Portugal in the round of 32, ending a tenure that included two consecutive top-three World Cup finishes. Additionally, England midfielder Jordan Henderson rejoined his team after surgery on a wrist injury sustained while celebrating the victory over Mexico but is ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.