Rafa Márquez faces his first match as Mexico head coach against their historic rival, the United States, on October 3rd in a FIFA Date fixture. The manager is chasing his first win in charge after two draws and aims to reverse his personal record of 4 wins, 3 draws, and 6 losses against the Stars and Stripes as a player.

Mexico enters the clash following a 1-1 draw with Peru on September 30th, thanks to a goal from Víctor Guzmán, and another 1-1 stalemate against Colombia three days prior. These results keep Mexico unbeaten under Márquez but still lacking a victory to excite the fanbase. In the broader picture, the team leads their World Cup qualifying group with a perfect 9 points from three games, but this cycle of friendlies presents a different challenge.

Márquez's playing record

Márquez faced the United States 13 times wearing the green jersey. His history includes bitter moments, like the red card in the 2-0 defeat at the 2002 World Cup and another sending-off in Columbus during 2009 qualifying. However, he also had his revenge. In November 2016, now as captain, he played the full 90 minutes and scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory on that same Ohio ground, a memory he undoubtedly cherishes.

His overall tally shows 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses in friendlies, while in World Cup qualifiers his record was 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 defeats. Now, from the dugout, he has the chance to write a new chapter.

The Clasico context

"The United States arrives as a slight favorite for this match because it has two convincing victories in this FIFA Date," was noted. Mexico, in contrast, needs to find more solid and decisive play. The next fixture after the Clasico will be a friendly against Brazil on November 12th.

Historically, Mexico dominates the head-to-head with 38 wins to the United States' 24, alongside 17 draws. The last official meeting was the 2025 Gold Cup final, where Mexico won 2-1 with goals from Raúl Jiménez and Edson Álvarez. In total, the Mexican side has won five of the eight finals contested by these two continental powers.

The match is a key test for Márquez's project. With the foundation of a team that leads the World Cup standings, the manager must find the winning formula in high-level friendlies. Fans can review the team's complete performance and its squad in our data section. The game will be played on October 4th as an away fixture, closing this window of matches.

More detail at MARCA