Lautaro Martinez could not hold back his tears: Argentina beats England to reach the final

The Argentina national team secured their spot in the World Cup final for the second consecutive time after a dramatic victory against England in the 2026 World Cup semi-final. Lautaro Martinez, who came off the bench at the stadium in Atlanta, became the hero of the match by scoring the winning goal. In a post-match interview, the Inter striker could not contain his emotions and broke down in tears during the live broadcast, as reported by Goal.com. reports .

The match unfolded with an unexpected scenario. England was leading 1-0 for most of the game, but Martinez, who entered the pitch in the 81st minute, changed the fate of the match. First, Enzo Fernandez equalized, and in the 92nd minute, Lautaro Martinez headed in a cross from Lionel Messi to secure the win for the "Albiceleste". According to Goal.com, this victory sends Argentina to the decisive final against Spain this Sunday.

Family values and boundless excitement

In his post-match interview, Lautaro Martinez recalled his childhood and the difficulties on his path to becoming a professional footballer. "It's such a powerful feeling. I remember the days when my father bought me my first pair of boots... I always dreamed of scoring such an important goal. This is immense joy. I told Facundo Medina while sitting on the bench that I had dreamed of this," the striker said through tears.

The striker dedicated his success to his mother and emphasized her incomparable role in his life. According to him, his mother still cannot watch his games due to nerves and keeps herself busy during matches to stay distracted. Martinez stated that he considers his mother's sacrifices when he left for Racing Club and his family's support to be the highest reward.

Argentina's journey in this tournament has been built on patience and willpower. The team narrowly defeated Switzerland in the quarter-finals, and before that, they overcame teams like Egypt and Cape Verde. Against England, Lionel Scaloni's men waited for the opponent to tire and took advantage of the gaps that appeared late in the game.

Lautaro Martinez noted that the England national team applied heavy pressure for an hour but retreated into defense after scoring. This gave Argentina the opportunity to control the game and organize attacks. Now, the reigning world champions will face Spain to defend their title.