Death and taxes are a certainty in life, and so it looks like coach Javier Aguirre is going to step in to save the Mexican men's national team. If things seemed all too familiar during Thursday's introductory press conference for Aguirre, it's because this wasn't the first time he's been billed as a The Tri leader on the sidelines. Or even second.
After being hired on two separate occasions to help Mexico qualify for the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, the veteran coach was called upon for a third time when he was officially hired last week. Fourteen years after coaching what appeared to be his final game with the national team, Aguirre, smiling broadly at an hour-long media event, found himself once again wearing the national team jersey. The Tri'jacket s.
“If you give any Mexican coach this opportunity, they will say yes with their eyes closed,” said the 65-year-old.
The new vision of Mexico will not be seen only from Aguirre's perspective.
Sitting next to him at the event, stoic as ever, was the new attendee and The Tri The legend Rafa Marquez. As previously reported by ESPN Mexico, Thursday's press conference confirmed the long-term plan in which Aguirre will lead The Tri until the 2026 World Cup, and would then step aside to let Marquez coach the national team in the 2030 cycle.
Returning to a federation that often seems to have short-term perspectives in mind, Aguirre proudly backed the new plan.
“Today, more than ever, I am happy to see that there is a project that is not just about rescuing three World Cup qualifiers,” said the coach. “There is a project, there is an important foundation, a project until 2030. I am very excited, I am very excited to see that things are being done well, to see that things are becoming more professional.”
“We're already thinking about six years from now, it's fantastic. I can't say no to my country, to my national team.”
And that team is one that certainly needs help.
Once considered the undisputed king of Concacaf and on the cusp of joining the world elite, Mexico has failed to capture a title in three Nations League appearances, was knocked out of the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, failed to qualify for this summer's Olympics and, in July, cemented its third group stage exit in its last four Copa America appearances. It's a dark period for Mexico after the dismal Copa that forced the departure of former coach Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano, but the good news for fans of The Tri:Aguirre has the know-how to pick up the pieces of a team that remains stagnant.
The bad news? The harsh reality for the national team is that the days of being ranked fourth in the world by FIFA (in 2006) are long gone. While soccer continues to develop and grow in Concacaf and beyond, Mexico must recognize that it needs to improve its depth and also make way for a new generation of players.
It’s not so much about a wealth of talent as it is about working with what you have, which is exactly the scenario in which Aguirre was able to find recent success with Mallorca in Spain. After narrowly avoiding relegation in the 2021-22 LaLiga table, the Mexican manager led the modest team to ninth place in 2022-23. Although they eventually dropped to 15th place in the 2023-24 season, Aguirre earned plaudits for his Cinderella run to the Copa del Rey final.
For a club ranked 17th in the 2023-24 LaLiga season in xG and possession, it was surprising to see them on the brink of a domestic trophy after narrowly missing out on the Copa del Rey title on penalties to Athletic Club in April. In Aguirre, Mexico have someone who can make them more than the sum of their parts.
This isn’t to say Aguirre is going to park the bus and play cautiously. There is a misconception across Mexico that because he is a firebrand of the coach, Aguirre will want to be defensive-minded and sit back. During Thursday’s press conference, the coach was even quick to correct a reporter who suggested he uses a pragmatic 4-4-2.
“I played 90 games for Mallorca in a 5-3-2,” Aguirre was quick to reply.
Historical statistics also support the idea that the coach is not simply a player focused on his defensive line.
According to Opta: “Mexico had its 21st century World Cups with more successful passes (1711 in 2002), more ball recoveries (236 in 2002), more tackles (103 in 2010) and more ball possession (62% in 2002).”
“4-3-3 or 5-3-2 or 4-1-4-1 are just numbers,” Aguirre said on Thursday. “Depending on the opponent, the circumstances of the score, the moment, the needs, I'm not against any system.”
In terms of improving squad depth and bringing in young faces, Marquez’s latest experience as Barcelona B coach will be invaluable to a national team structure that has struggled to bring in emerging players. Knowing he will take over in two years’ time as he prepares for 2030, Marquez is also acutely aware of the importance of supporting and promoting the next generation.
Whether intentional or not, by having Marquez already involved in a long-term plan, it will only benefit his future to begin watching and mentoring countless promising young players who can often go unnoticed by the senior national team.
Marquez, a former captain who played in five World Cups between 2002 and 2018, could also be a leader who brings back some familiar veterans who now have an open door to return.
“Are they Mexican? Are they soccer players? Well, they're in the orbit of all of us,” Aguirre said of veteran stars such as Guillermo Ochoa and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano who were left off the Copa del Rey roster.
“There are parameters, obviously, there is an idea, we try to follow it, but we are also interested in good footballers and Mexicans who feel proud to be in the national team.”
Pride, one of the many talking points at the press conference, was an easy topic to broach for someone with Aguirre’s history. Arguably the greatest trainer born in Mexico, and with a legend like Marquez at his side, Aguirre’s aura at the press event was one of optimistic nostalgia.
Unlike previous coaches from the 2020s, such as Lozano, Diego Cocca and Gerardo Martino, who were all new hires, Aguirre's presence evoked sentimental memories that bring to light standout moments from the early 2000s, many of which included Marquez.
And now, with the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, which Mexico will co-host with the United States and Canada, will more rosy moments soon be added to those memories?
On paper, there is reason to be hopeful with a coach who has shown over the past two years that he can lift a team facing significant obstacles. In Marquez, there is a coach who has experience working with young players and also as a leader for the team's veterans.
It's easy to feel joyful, but this is just the first day of a project that will quickly pick up pace with just two years to go until the World Cup.
With no qualifying rounds and an important tournament like the Copa del Rey already behind them, time is running out for the outstanding coach and his assistant to resolve a crisis in Mexican soccer that is already as familiar as Aguirre at the helm.
The first step? Finding the right numbers for the friendlies in the United States that will be played in September and that will head Aguirre's third stage.
“There is time, of course,” said the coach who is returning to the Mexican national team about the construction towards 2026.
“I think there is enough time to form a good team.”
