Argentina's hero left out of final, blames coach for benching

Argentina secured a place in the World Cup final, but striker Lautaro Martínez will watch from the bench, saying he felt let down by his own coach after being omitted from the squad for the decisive match, despite scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 semifinal win over England.

Lautaro Martínez delivered the decisive strike in Argentina's 2-1 semifinal triumph over England, sending the South American side through to the final. His goal came in the second half and proved the difference in a tightly contested match.

Against Spain in the quarter‑final, the Inter forward remained on the bench for more than 120 minutes, a decision that left him publicly dissatisfied. He spent the entire match watching from the sidelines despite his reputation as a starter.

Up to and including the round of 32, Martínez had started every game for Argentina. From the last‑16 onward he was deployed only as a substitute, yet he still made an impact, notably netting the winner against the Three Lions' in the semifinal.

After the final, Martínez posted on Instagram, addressing his coach directly: “I would have loved to help the team on the pitch yesterday, but oh well…”. The message underscored his frustration at not being selected.

He also expressed pride in his Argentine identity and thanked supporters, writing, “Thank you very much to all the people who stayed with us throughout this entire World Cup … and to everyone who supported us from every corner of our country.”

Martínez will now take a vacation before returning to preseason training with Inter Milan. The Serie A campaign kicks off on 22 August against Monza, marking his first competitive appearance after the World Cup.