Marcelo Bielsa, Mexico’s number one candidate

The Mexican national team’s World Cup in Qatar 2022 was a failure, unable to get past the group stage despite having won their last match against Saudi Arabia. With the departure of head coach Gerardo Martino, the soccer federation has been looking for a new boss to take charge of the project with eyes on the 2026 World Cup.

Bielsa in pole position for El Tri

According to information from journalist David Faitelson, the number one candidate to take over the reins is the Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, who has extensive experience in club and international soccer. The same source states that there are four other candidates, but so far the ESPN reporter has not given the names of the technical directors.

An Advisory Committee is reported to have been convened, made up of strategists who have already served on the national bench such as José Manuel de la Torre, Hugo Sánchez, Miguel Mejía Barón, Bora Milutinovic, Alfredo Tena, Víctor Manuel Vucetich, and Javier Aguirre, among others. When Mexico’s participation in Qatar 2022 ended, Yon de Luisa requested a period of 60 days to look for the coach and that period ends in two weeks. In other news, Jaime Lozano is the main candidate to take over the Under-23s.

The incoming coach of the first team will have two key objectives: to win the Gold Cup and the Concacaf Nations League in order to regain control of the area. The idea is that there will be a reduction in the number of assistants and advisers, although Faitelson does say that Rafael Márquez is being considered as an assistant, with potential of him then taking over towards 2030.