The Rafa Marquez Era With Mexico Is Underway—There’s Already Reason for Excitement

El Tri was the better side against Colombia in its first game with Rafa Márquez at the helm.

Rafael Márquez oversaw his first game as Mexico manager on Saturday night. | Omar Vega/Getty Images

Exactly 83 days after Mexico endured a heartbreaking 2026 World Cup elimination at the hands of England in which it outplayed the Three Lions for lengthy stretches, the Rafael Márquez era as El Tri’s manager started with an equally strong showing against one of the best teams in South America.

Mexico settled for a 1–1 draw against Colombia in Baltimore on Saturday night to begin Márquez’s tenure.

El Tri recovered from an early blow courtesy of Luis Suárez but dug deep and was superior for much of the night, especially before the flurry of substitutions late in the second half. Gilberto Mora stole the show and equalized for Mexico with a brilliant goal to open his national team account.

Victory was within El Tri’s grasp but wasted chances—including three shots that hit the post—ultimately denied Márquez from a winning debut.

“I wish we could play like Barcelona,” Márquez confessed before the match. “But we don’t have the raw material, we have to adapt and we have very little time.”

Márquez’s Mexico wasn’t Barcelona, but in the first game of a new era, El Tri confirmed its dream 2026 World Cup run wasn’t a fluke and that there’s reason for optimism as the 2030 cycle starts.

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Mexico Found Its Identity This Summer, Márquez Is Sticking With It

Seven players that started against England in the World Cup round of 16 kept their place in the XI. | Omar Vega/Getty Images

“I am not Javier Aguirre, I am who I am.”

On the eve of Saturday’s match, Márquez made a point to state he is a different type of manager than his predecessor. But against Colombia, Mexico resembled the team that impressed during the climax of its 2026 World Cup run.

After years in which you never knew what version of El Tri would show up on any given day, Mexico seemingly found its style and identity during the second half of its final group stage game of the summer against Czechia. Since, El Tri has displayed a solid brand of soccer that Márquez appears keen on continuing to build on.

Seven players that started El Tri’s pair of knockout games this summer got the nod against Colombia, and that number would’ve likely been higher had it not been for injuries.

Bravely playing out of the back, attacking through quick combinations between midfielders and forwards, aggressively counter-pressing to win the ball back fast and high up the pitch; these are some of the defined traits of El Tri’s now firmly established style.

Despite falling behind early, Mexico was vastly superior to one of the best national teams on this side of the Atlantic Ocean, a team that erased El Tri from the pitch less than a year ago with a 4–0 thrashing.

Márquez will be disappointed with the end result, but his decision to stick to what worked this summer already seems wise, especially since he’s making a concentrated effort to platform the players that will surely headline El Tri’s 2030 cycle.

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The Keys of Márquez’s El Tri Belong to Mexico’s New No. 10

Gilberto Mora became the youngest goalscorer in Mexico national team history. | Omar Vega/Getty Images

Raul Rángel, Johan Vásquez, Erik Lira and Roberto Alvarado continue to be Mexico’s spinal cord. But in the dawn of a new era, Márquez has handed the keys of El Tri to its new No. 10: Gilberto Mora.

As much as people try to temper expectations and ease the responsibility placed on a player still three weeks removed from his 18th birthday, Mora appears to welcome it all—and Márquez seems aware of it.

It’s only fitting that Mora scored the first goal of the Márquez era, simultaneously becoming the youngest goalscorer in El Tri’s history—and what a goal it was. In his maiden appearance wearing the iconic shirt number, Mora was given the freedom to operate all over the final third and was the best player on the pitch.

His name is Gilberto, his last name is Mora! 🤩

Morita scores his first goal in the colors of México and becomes the youngest player ever to score for the National Team! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3ZzfwBh2V9

— Mexican National Team (@miseleccionmxEN) September 27, 2026

Unlike Aguirre, Márquez released Mora from any significant responsibilities out of possession and played him as a true No. 10. Perhaps the image of Elliot Anderson picking his pocket in the action that led to England’s second goal against El Tri this summer remains fresh in Márquez’s memory, because the teenager barely—if at all—dropped to receive the ball inside his own half with his back toward goal.

Instead, Márquez entrusted his defenders to play line-breaking passes to bypass Colombia’s press. Once Mexico stepped into the opposition’s half, it was Mora who ran the show, constantly finding pockets of space between the lines to receive, lift his head up and create.

It’s early days but Márquez has made Mora the focal point of his attack. Players are constantly looking to get the ball to him and he more often than not makes the right decision.

It’s simply impossible not to be excited by what Mora continues to display at such a young age. He’s the greatest talent Mexico has produced in decades, and it took just one game for it to become obvious that he’ll be the main pillar of the new manager’s tenure.

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Encouraging Start for Rafa Márquez but the Next Task Is Clear

It was Rafael Márquez’s senior managerial debut. | Omar Vega/Getty Images

It was a mostly positive start to the Márquez era overall, with Mexico besting Colombia in almost every major statistical category and snapping a three-game losing streak against the South Americans that dated back to 2010.

Fears of Mexico reverting to its old, lackluster ways after a home World Cup have been dispelled. The core is clearly set and Márquez even granted some minutes to players such as Jeremy Márquez and debutant Denzell García, who are both expected to play an important role in the next four years.

Although avoiding defeat was key, Márquez and El Tri will surely feel like Saturday’s game was there for the taking.

Victory against Peru on Tuesday is imperative, especially given how easy the USMNT made it look earlier on Saturday. Márquez needs a strong result to carry momentum ahead of the mouthwatering clash against Mauricio Pochettino’s Stars and Stripes in a week’s time.

Full-time in Baltimore! ⚽

A stunning goal from Gilberto Mora earns us a draw against Colombia as we kick off the road to 2030.

This is just the beginning, and there’s a long way to go! pic.twitter.com/s2n6kKnH9z

— Mexican National Team (@miseleccionmxEN) September 27, 2026

Failing to defeat Peru and then falling against the USMNT could spell disaster for Márquez, as the current positive feeling would almost certainly turn sour.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t do anything differently compared to other World Cup campaigns,” Márquez said prior to the match, alluding to Mexico failing to make it past the round of 16.

Márquez isn’t content with settling for what Mexico achieved during the 2026 World Cup, he wants his tenure to end up delivering more. But the 2030 World Cup is four years away, and collecting positive results early is imperative to continue the momentum and avoid any unwanted noise from surfacing in the infancy of his tenure.

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