Álvarez Exposes Rifts With Martino at Mexico World Cup

In a candid interview, Mexican international midfielder Edson Álvarez has shed light on the fractured relationship he endured with former national team coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino during the ill-fated 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar.

Despite expressing initial gratitude for their once-close bond, the West Ham United player did not mince words when reflecting on how things unraveled leading up to Mexico’s group stage elimination from football’s biggest stage.

“I am grateful, at some point I had a great relationship with ‘Tata’. A relationship in which we would chat and share ideas,” Álvarez reminisced, harkening back to when Martino sought his insights on Ajax’s playing philosophy during the Mexican’s stint in the Netherlands.

However, the 25-year-old’s tone quickly shifted as he recounted the jarring shift in dynamics at the World Cup. “In the game [against Poland] the relationship was the same as always. The game against Argentina came and I realise that I was a stranger, as if he had never seen me play; I didn’t start and I didn’t play,” he revealed to Caliente TV.

Álvarez’s omission from Mexico’s starting XI in their crucial 2-0 loss to Argentina drew widespread scrutiny, with many pundits questioning Martino’s tactics and team selection. The defeat effectively derailed El Tri’s hopes of progressing from a group that also featured Poland and Saudi Arabia.

“In the World Cup I didn’t feel I was an undisputed starter, but I felt I had many chances to play,” the combative midfielder lamented, suggesting he had been led to believe his role would be more prominent in Qatar.

The aftermath saw Martino depart his post as Mexico’s head coach, leaving behind a divided dressing room and lingering questions about his man-management skills. While he has since taken over the reins at David Beckham’s MLS franchise Inter Miami, his former charges have been compelled to pick up the pieces.

For Álvarez, the wounds sustained during that turbulent World Cup journey appear only partially healed. As he continues to establish himself in the Premier League with West Ham, his bruising experience under Martino serves as a stark reminder of the fine line managers must tread between tactical pragmatism and maintaining team unity.

With Mexico now turning their attention to the 2024 Copa América and CONCACAF Nations League, the onus falls on Álvarez and his international teammates to rally around new leadership. Only then can they begin to restore the lofty standards that have so often eluded El Tri on football’s grandest stages.