Argentinian defender Lisandro Martinez has posted a lengthy message addressing those hating on the national team and Lionel Messi after their 2026 World Cup loss.
Argentina fell to a 1-0 A.E.T loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final, ending their dream of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend their World Cup title.
Argentina’s run to the World Cup final was contentious and led to a lot of hate aimed at the team and their star Messi after the loss, but defender Martinez has tackled those comments.
Lisandro Martinez addresses Argentina’s World Cup loss
Martinez posted a lengthy message on social media where he thanked everyone who contributed to Argentina’s run to the final, as well as Spain for becoming World Champions.
Martinez would then turn his attention to his fellow Argentinians with an uplifting message, but would add a clearly veiled quote regarding the hate the team and Messi have received since the loss.
“Remember that ‘the fall of the great is the joy of the mediocre.'”
The Argentina squad had a bumpy run to the Final, eking out a narrow 3-2 win over Cape Verde before a controversial 2-1 win over Egypt, where the officiating came under serious scrutiny.
While their win over Norway was straightforward, their win over England ended with political controversy after some players unfurled a banner relating to Argentinian ownership of the Falklands.
Argentina was comprehensively outplayed in the Final, not registering any shots until extra time.
Martinez’s comments are to remind fans of the greatness this squad has already achieved with back-to-back Final appearances and as former champions.
While another World Cup title would have immortalized this core as World Cup legends, they still left the stadium with a more accomplished World Cup career than most can dream of.
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