Substitute Lautaro Martinez lived out his childhood dream, heading in an injury-time winner to send Argentina to the 2026 World Cup final following a dramatic 2-1 victory over England in Atlanta.
Trailing 1-0 late in the semi-final, the defending champions launched a stunning comeback. In the 85th minute, captain Lionel Messi set up Enzo Fernandez for the equalizer. Deep into stoppage time, Messi delivered a cross for Martinez—who had entered the match in the 81st minute—to head home the decisive goal.
"I dreamt it. I told Alexis (Mac Allister) and Facundo Medina on the bench that I was going to come on and score," an emotional Martinez shared, recalling how he had envisioned this moment since his father bought him his first pair of football boots.
The 28-year-old Inter Milan striker has proven to be a crucial impact player. After starting during the group stages, he was dropped from the starting lineup but returned off the bench to score in both the quarter-final against Switzerland and the semi-final against England.
Argentina's quest to defend their World Cup title will culminate on Sunday in New Jersey. They will face a formidable Spanish side currently riding a 38-game unbeaten streak dating back to March 2024.
"We need to get some rest but also enjoy this," Martinez said of the upcoming challenge. "Getting back to the final as defending champions three and a half years after winning it is not easy".
