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Mexico national team sporting director Duilio Davino has confirmed that El Tri icon Rafael Márquez has already put pen to paper on a contract to succeed Javier Aguirre as Mexico's head coach following the 2026 World Cup.
Márquez is widely regarded as one of the finest players Mexico has ever produced, having captained El Tri across five World Cups—twice under Aguirre's guidance. He has now been selected to steer Mexico toward the 2030 World Cup in what will mark the 47-year-old's first senior managerial appointment.
"Yes, his contract is already signed," Davino told FOX Sports MX. "His technical staff is practically 80% finalized. It will be Rafa's decision [who will be part of the technical staff], he will need to share his vision with us.
"But yes, he's already signed and he is focused on 2030."
Márquez has been serving as Aguirre's assistant coach since the manager returned for a third spell at the helm of El Tri in the summer of 2024.
Why Mexico Picked Rafa Márquez As Next Manager
Davino merely confirmed what had long been anticipated. The plan for Márquez to take over from Aguirre had been in place since the fallout of the 2024 Copa América, when El Vasco stepped in as Mexico's manager to replace Jaime Lozano.
Márquez began laying the groundwork for a managerial career shortly after retiring following the 2018 World Cup. The five-time World Cup captain returned to Barcelona to pursue his coaching education at the club where he enjoyed the peak years of his playing days.
In 2022, Márquez was appointed manager of Barça Atlètic (Barcelona B). He spent two seasons with the reserve side and worked with several of Barcelona's current La Masia graduates, including Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Fermín López, Marc Bernal, Gerard Martín, and Marc Casadó.
Notably, Márquez was among the leading candidates to take charge of Barcelona following Xavi Hernández's exit. When Hansi Flick was named as Xavi's replacement, Márquez promptly departed Barcelona and accepted the role of Aguirre's assistant with El Tri, with the understanding that he would take over the top job two years later after the 2026 World Cup.
With Márquez confirmed as Aguirre's successor, reports indicate that Mexico's all-time most capped player Andrés Guardado will join his coaching staff after the World Cup, along with veteran El Tri goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera, who is expected to be appointed as Mexico's next goalkeeping coach.
Rafael Márquez's Legacy Speaks for Itself
"El Kaiser" is widely considered, alongside Real Madrid great Hugo Sánchez, to be one of the two greatest Mexican footballers of all time.
The Atlas academy product made his move to Europe with AS Monaco, where he claimed the Ligue 1 title before going on to spend the best years of his career at Barcelona. There, he became the first Mexican player in history to lift the Champions League trophy.
No other Mexico international has captained El Tri across five separate World Cup tournaments, and his 148 caps place him fourth on the all-time appearances list for the national team.
His standing in Mexican football is etched in history, and Davino has every confidence that Márquez can replicate his remarkable success as a player in his new role as a manager.
"I've known him since he was 15," Davino said. "Rafa off the pitch has one personality, and as a player on the pitch [he had a different one]. Well, now as an assistant and as a manager, he's just like he was as a player.
"He transforms himself in the dressing room, on the training ground, on the pitch. Inside the pitch he transmits energy, he's infectious, and players clearly see him the way Rafa Márquez deserves to be seen."