Inter Milan star Lautaro Martínez has confirmed that he told his teammate Alexis Mac Allister he was going to score before netting the stoppage-time winner in Argentina’s 2-1 FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final victory over England.
Coming off the bench in the 81st minute, Martínez headed in a cross from Lionel Messi to seal his team’s spot in the final.
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After Anthony Gordon’s opener, the Three Lions parked the bus to maintain their 1-0 lead. That worked until the 85th minute when Enzo Fernández leveled it.
Lautaro Martínez’s match-winner completed the comeback that Argentina has become synonymous with this tournament.
Reacting after the game, Martinez said he had dreamed of scoring the winning goal and was delighted that his prediction came true.
He praised Enzo Fernandez’s equaliser and said Argentina’s victory showed the team’s strength and character.
“I dreamed it [the goal], I swear. I told Alexis [Mac Allister] that I was going to score.
“I told him that I was going to come on and I was going to win it. And it fell to me.
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“Enzo scored a great goal too, and now that I’m calmer, I can tell you this team keeps showing what it’s made of.
“They [England] got tired. They pressed for 60 minutes. After that, they had nothing left. They started well and then found the goal.
“Then they dropped back, and that gave us more calm when it came to moving the ball. We made the pitch wide, and in the end we got the two goals, and after three and a half years we’re back playing a World Cup final,” he said.
