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The Rafael Márquez era with the Mexican national team is reportedly set to kick off with four friendly matches during the September international window. Just days after the curtain fell on the 2026 World Cup, multiple reports emerged outlining Mexico's upcoming schedule, highlighted by a showdown with their fiercest rival for the first time in more than a year.
Mexico is coming off a strong World Cup campaign on home turf, and the focus now shifts to building on the groundwork laid this summer in pursuit of a successful 2030 cycle.
A well-defined succession plan has played out in El Tri's technical area, with Márquez officially stepping in for Javier Aguirre as Mexico's head coach after serving as his assistant for the past two years. The iconic Mexican defender now takes on his first senior managerial role, and he has already expressed his belief that El Tri possesses "a very good base" to sustain the strong momentum going forward.
Mexico's First Matches of Rafael Márquez Era: Full Schedule
The Concacaf Nations League gets underway in September, but since Mexico has been granted automatic entry into the competition's second round based on its FIFA ranking, the team will instead play friendlies during the first international window following the World Cup.
According to reports, Márquez will take charge of his debut match on Sept. 26 against Colombia. It's a highly anticipated fixture on paper against one of South America's most gifted sides, and Márquez will be eager to wipe out the memory of the 4–0 thrashing El Tri endured against Los Cafeteros in their last encounter back in October.
That is followed by a fixture against Peru on Sept. 29, a match El Tri should be favored to win against a side in the midst of a rebuild; however, the standout game of Márquez's opening window arrives on Oct. 3 against arch-rivals the U.S. men's national team. It will be the first meeting between the two regional heavyweights since the 2025 Gold Cup final, and while the stakes are considerably lower, a defeat to their northern neighbors could represent the first significant setback of Márquez's reign.
Mexico will close out its first international window of the 2030 cycle with a match against Chile on Oct. 6.
Mexico's September, October 2026 Matches: Full Schedule
Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
Sept. 26, 2026 | Colombia | Baltimore |
Sept. 29, 2026 | Peru | New York |
Oct. 3, 2026 | U.S. | Phoenix |
Oct. 6, 2026 | Chile | Pasadena |
Why Mexico Won't Play on Home Soil for Start of Rafa Márquez Era
After delivering its finest World Cup performance since 1986—playing all five tournament matches on home ground—Mexico will contest the first four games of the Márquez era away from the country. Among the biggest achievements El Tri accomplished this summer was reigniting a deep bond with Mexican supporters that had grown strained in recent years. Yet rather than nurturing that connection further, El Tri will once again take the field in its so-called "second home," the United States.
Even so, the decision to stage all four upcoming friendlies on U.S. soil comes as no surprise. In fact, it is entirely expected. Mexico is contractually bound to play a minimum of six international friendlies in the U.S. each year, as stipulated in a lucrative agreement with Soccer United Marketing (SUM).
El Tri has appeared just once in the U.S. this year, defeating Australia 1–0 in a pre-World Cup friendly in Pasadena. Mexico will now add four more fixtures to its 2026 U.S. tour, with at least one additional stateside match also anticipated during the November international window.
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The partnership with SUM dates back to 2003. Since then, Mexico's friendlies and Concacaf competitions have been played almost exclusively in the U.S. El Tri only takes to the field on Mexican soil when it constitutes an official home match under FIFA regulations — meaning the team plays in Mexico only when required to do so.
That said, Mexico will undoubtedly fill stadiums across the U.S. thanks to its vast fanbase residing in the country. One of Márquez's primary objectives will be to deliver positive results, as that extraordinary level of support could quickly erode if performances disappoint before year's end.