While ribbing Spain, Argentine keeper Emiliano Martínez surprisingly praised France. Will his words fire up the squad?
He’s convinced Argentina can match any nation. “If we met Spain again today, we’d beat them,” he told journalist Gastón Edul on YouTube, reflecting on the 1‑0 extra‑time loss to the Roja in the World Cup final.
‘Spain was very strong, but…’
‘We lost, plain and simple, no excuses. Spain won fairly, but penalties would have swung it our way,’ Martinez said. ‘I felt it was my day, the ball refusing to go in. God willing, we’ll lift the next World Cup. We reached a new final, toppled England in the semis, and left a mark for our country,’ he added, slipping a jab at Spain while complimenting the French.
‘As a team, France earned my utmost respect in 2022—they were world champions with more experience,’ the 34‑year‑old keeper, who tormented the French in the Qatar final, said. ‘Spain was strong, but if we meet them again, we’ll win.’
The former Aston Villa star, now at Chelsea and recovering from a jaw injury, finally shut down the rumors swirling around Argentina during the tournament: ‘Conspiracy theories make me laugh. People believe everything they read online. Who wants to lose a World Cup final?’