Rafael Marquez could lose his job as Mexico head coach if El Tri fail to eliminate Jamaica in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, according to ESPN reporter John Sutcliffe.
Sutcliffe reported from Kingston on Futbol Picante on Friday, November 13, on the eve of the first leg. He said some Liga MX owners have tied Marquez’s continuity directly to this tie.
His account came from one source, whom he described as very well connected with the owners and with the federation’s top ranks. The source set out three scenarios for the coach.
The three scenarios
In the first scenario, Mexico play well and advance, and Marquez earns a few months of calm through to the Copa Oro. In the second, Mexico advance without convincing, the criticism lands, and he continues anyway.
The third scenario was marked for him with a fire symbol: “a la hoguera.” In the source’s words: “Hay dueños que piensan que si no se avanza contra Jamaica, le costaría la chamba a Rafa.”
Translated, that reads: “There are owners who think that if we do not get past Jamaica, it would cost Rafa his job.”
Sutcliffe closed with his own reading of the situation: “For this process to continue, it is obligatory for Rafa to eliminate Jamaica.”
The federation’s line has been different
Nothing official supports the claim so far. The FMF and the clubs have said nothing publicly about it, and Marquez did not address it at his press conference in Kingston on Friday.
The public record points the other way. Marquez was named as Javier Aguirre’s successor, and in December 2025 FMF executive president Ivar Sisniega confirmed that his contract made him head coach after the World Cup, in a process framed to run through 2030.
On October 14, sporting director Duilio Davino said the federation had full confidence in Marquez. This week, Hugo Sanchez publicly called for Marquez to be backed for three World Cup cycles.
Why the pressure is building
Marquez is still looking for his first win. His four matches in charge, all friendlies, brought draws with Colombia and Peru and defeats against the United States and Chile, with two goals scored and seven conceded.
The precedent is recent. Diego Cocca was dismissed in 2023 after a Nations League semifinal defeat, and he left with a stronger record than the one Marquez carries into Kingston.
Elimination would carry a sporting cost as well. Mexico would lose its Nations League title defense and would have to come through a preliminary round to reach the Copa Oro 2027.
The first leg kicks off tonight, Saturday, November 14, at 7:00 PM CT at the National Stadium in Kingston. The return leg follows on Tuesday, November 17, at 8:30 PM CT at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey. Here is how to watch Jamaica vs Mexico.
Source: John Sutcliffe, ESPN, Futbol Picante, November 13, 2026
