Argentina: Lisandro Martinez responds to criticism

In the final of the 2026 World Cup, many around the world were hoping for Argentina to lose to Spain. And that's exactly what happened (1-0, after extra time).

A week later, Argentine center-back Lisandro Martinez admitted he struggled to comprehend the widespread negativity directed at the three-time world champions.

"It's infuriating because this hate is completely unjustified. (...) They say we're arrogant, but maybe that says more about those making the accusations than about us. We've always shown great respect to our opponents. We were accused of not greeting Spain. We greeted all the players and the coaching staff. If it looked like we were turning our backs on them, it's because we were looking at our supporters who were cheering us on—and that was also a sign of respect for them," said the Manchester United player, in comments reported by Olé.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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