Lisandro Martinez hits back at criticism of Argentina's post-final behavior

Published Jul 27, 08:51 AM UTC

Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez, returning to his hometown of Gualeguay for a hero's welcome after the 2026 World Cup, expressed anger over what he called unjustified criticism of the Albiceleste following their 1-0 extra-time loss to Spain in the final. The criticism stemmed from a post-match brawl involving several players, notably Leandro Paredes, and accusations that Argentina's players turned their backs on Spain during the trophy ceremony. Martinez, who left the final injured in the 44th minute, defended his teammates, stating they showed great respect to opponents and that any appearance of turning away was due to acknowledging their own fans. He described the hatred as 'completely unjustified' and suggested the criticism says more about the critics than about Argentina. The article also references coach Lionel Scaloni breaking his silence on the backlash and Spanish player Dani Olmo criticizing Argentina's assistant coach for hitting him.

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