Rafa Márquez's Mexico Off to Worst Start Since 2026: Germán Berterame Believes the Team Will Improve Before the Nations League Quarterfinal Against Jamaica

The Mexico national team is going through its most difficult period in more than six decades under head coach Rafa Márquez. Two draws and two defeats in the last four matches have left the team in a situation unprecedented since 2026. Amid that backdrop, forward Germán Berterame, 27, who plays for Inter Miami in MLS, has kept an optimistic message that the team will improve, while admitting he himself feels deeply frustrated and anxious. Worst start since 2026 According to data recorded in the source report, the run of two draws and two defeats is the worst start by a Mexico head coach since 2026. It is a historic milestone and has become the focal point of every analysis of the team. The sequence took place during a FIFA international window, with Mexico facing Colombia, Peru and Chile in turn. Notably, most of those matches were friendlies without competitive points at stake, which makes an accurate reading of true form more complicated. Messaging from inside the squad has remained consistent. Germán Berterame stated that the whole group is united and on the same side, and that the team will improve sooner or later. This is textbook pressure-management language for a struggling football project: rather than admitting quality problems, the group attributes the results to a lack of working time together. That argument has a real structural basis, since national teams get only a handful of contact days per FIFA window, but if it is repeated across several camps it becomes self-serving narrative rather than a genuine cause. The Germán Berterame profile Germán Berterame is 27 years old and plays for Inter Miami in MLS. To date he has 12 caps for Mexico, 487 minutes played and 2 goals, equivalent to 0.37 goals per 90 minutes. That is a small sample and it sits below the typical baseline for an international forward. More striking is his output in the most recent FIFA window. Berterame came on from the bench against Colombia, then started against Peru and Chile. In total he played 149 minutes but did not attempt a single shot and did not create a single chance. For a starting forward, that is a warning sign: it may reflect a role misfit, a lack of service from the lines behind him, or simply the step up in level at international football. The distribution of his minutes shows that head coach Rafa Márquez is actively trialling Berterame as a solution in attack. Starting him in two of the three matches is evidence of that audition, but the audition has not yet produced any concrete return. It must be stressed that the source material provides no tactical data such as expected goals, passes allowed per defensive action, possession share or formation. Therefore any claim about Mexico's playing style under Rafa Márquez would be pure speculation. A shift in selection philosophy One notable detail is that coach Javier Aguirre had previously not considered Berterame for the 2026 World Cup finals, whereas Rafa Márquez decided to recall him. That difference reflects a shift in the federation's selection philosophy, although the source report does not explore the issue in depth. From a regulatory standpoint, Berterame is a typical case in the regional wave of naturalised and dual-national players. He is widely known to have been born in Argentina and later capped by Mexico, a profile governed by FIFA eligibility rules. Mexico's use of a naturalised forward also reflects a perception that domestic forward production is showing signs of shortage, and that the national team needs to broaden its talent pool beyond its own borders. Public pressure and Rafa Márquez's future The “worst since 2026” label is a media fact with particular weight. It will resurface in every report about the Mexico national team until the side wins a match. Pressure on Rafa Márquez is currently rated high, driven by that historic record and by the intensity of Mexican media and fan scrutiny, widely regarded as one of the harshest environments in world football. What stands out is the contrast between the calm outward message and the players' real emotions. While Germán Berterame talks about unity and a building process, he also admits to feeling very frustrated and very anxious. That is a mild internal sentiment divergence, suggesting the optimism presented in public does not fully reflect the actual state inside the group. On the federation side, pressure is rated low to medium. The leadership appointed Rafa Márquez to a project in difficulty and needs to justify that build. Rafa Márquez is managing two transitions at once: a new coach and a squad refresh, while a historically poor start increases the friction. The CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Jamaica The next turning point is the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Jamaica. This is a change in kind: from friendlies with little at stake to a knockout round that is decisive. A poor friendly run can be excused, but a knockout elimination cannot. The two-legged format is a key factor. Mexico will play the first leg away in Kingston, then the return leg at BBVA Stadium in Monterrey. The window is set from November 9 to November 17. The two-legged format provides a structural safety net that a single match would not, and choosing Monterrey as the home venue is a calculated decision regarding atmosphere, although the source report does not explain the reasoning behind it. In the wider CONCACAF landscape, Mexico is still regarded as a leading power with resources and squad depth superior to Jamaica, a side placed in the second tier. That is precisely why the poor start is more alarming: the problem is not that the opponent is stronger, but that Mexico is performing below its own expectation level. Jamaica represents the Caribbean opponent profile built on athleticism and pace, a challenge that can be overcome but demands serious preparation. Industry angle and risks to monitor From an industry perspective, the Mexico national team is a major commercial and broadcast asset for CONCACAF. A sustained poor run can negatively affect sponsor activation and viewership, although the source report provides no specific figures. Germán Berterame playing for Inter Miami during the global media boom of the Lionel Messi era also creates a minor, indirect commercial link between his national-team form and the image of MLS. The biggest risk now is Mexico being eliminated from the Nations League immediately after the worst start since 2026, a scenario that could trigger a fierce wave of criticism aimed at Rafa Márquez. The second risk concerns Germán Berterame: 149 minutes without a shot and only 2 goals in 487 minutes is a low-output profile that could cost him his place in the next squad if other forwards convert their chances. The third risk concerns information accuracy: the source report contains a timeline contradiction, referencing the 2026 World Cup while dating Berterame's goals to October 2026 and January of the same year. That requires verifying the dates before citing them. Conclusion The story of Mexico under Rafa Márquez is not about optimistic statements, but about numbers. Four matches without a win, the worst start since 2026, and a trialled forward who has not produced a single shot are hard facts. The CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Jamaica will settle this story one way or the other, and the result in Kingston in the first leg is seen as the most important pressure trigger to monitor.