Lautaro Martinez, the Bahia Blanca native and Inter Milan captain, ignited celebrations across Argentina after scoring a dramatic winner to secure his nation’s place in the World Cup final. His decisive 92nd-minute goal arrived just as England appeared to have secured a spot in Sunday’s final against Spain in New York.
Demonstrating remarkable resilience, Lionel Scaloni’s side secured their second consecutive World Cup final appearance. The match in Atlanta took a tense turn in the 55th minute when Gordon put England ahead, momentarily shifting the momentum in favor of the English side. In a tactical move, Scaloni introduced the Inter captain from the bench in the 81st minute.
Argentina’s sustained offensive pressure eventually yielded results in the 85th minute when Enzo Fernandez leveled the score at 1-1. Then, in the final moments of stoppage time, Lionel Messi delivered a precise cross to the back post, allowing Lautaro to arrive perfectly to power home a header, making it 2-1. The goal marked his 40th international goal for the Albiceleste in just 84 appearances, leaving him only one goal shy of Sergio Aguero on the nation’s all-time scoring list.
Notably, Argentina’s last official goal against England occurred during the 1998 World Cup Round of 16. In that match, Javier Zanetti—another former Inter captain—scored in Saint-Étienne while wearing the number 22, the same squad number worn by Lautaro today.
This victory also continues a significant historical trend: since 1982, every single World Cup final has featured at least one player from Inter Milan. Lautaro Martinez ensures this legacy continues as he prepares to take the stage for football’s most prestigious final.
