Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez criticized his teammates after their 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, saying he urged the squad at halftime to stop playing “cowardly” football.
According to Metro on July 21, 2026, Argentina struggled to impose themselves as Spain controlled possession before scoring the winning goal in extra time to retain the World Cup.
During the halftime team talk, Martinez called on his teammates to play with greater courage.
“Come on, with heart, boys. Playing with heart means driving forward, not going backwards. Forward, forward, forward. Cowards play backwards, let’s move forward. Three passes and we find Leo. Let me see us build it from the back too,” he said.
Captain Lionel Messi also rallied the team, urging them to show the character that had carried them to the final.
“Come on, boys, character, everyone, character. We’ve always had it, aren’t we going to show it now? Let’s play our football,” Messi said.
Despite the speeches, Argentina failed to recover as Spain secured victory in extra time. After the match, midfielder Leandro Paredes and assistant coach Roberto Ayala were involved in confrontations with Spanish players, while several Argentina players turned their backs during Spain’s trophy presentation.
Paredes later thanked supporters on social media, saying he was proud of the team for representing Argentina with pride and described it as an honour to have been part of what he called “the best Argentine national team in history.”
