Emiliano Martinez, the goalkeeper of the Argentine national team, stressed that his country's team has become accustomed to competing for titles, pointing out that he was ready to face penalty kicks, and also described the matchup against England in the semi-final of the 2026 World Cup as an "early final".
Emiliano Martinez
Club: Aston Villa
The Argentine national team achieved a thrilling victory over Switzerland by three goals to one after extra time over two additional halves, setting up Argentina's appointment with England in the semi-final of the World Cup.
Martinez said in statements to the media: "It is wonderful to be told that we are never satisfied with successes, because the truth is that we have reached four finals with the national team, and we had the opportunity to win them, and now we have returned again to the semi-final of the World Cup".
He continued: "After everything that has been said, and after the injuries we suffered, what we have achieved is a source of pride; it is a source of pride for the country".
He added: "I know that the fans, especially the children and youth, are waiting for this match with great enthusiasm, and we are very happy with what we have achieved".
He added: "I was already thinking about penalty kicks, because the ball did not want to go in during the second half and extra time".
He continued: "I know that in order to win the World Cup, we may have to go through these difficult moments, and I will be ready for them if they happen".
He concluded his talk about the match against England and said: "It is certainly a special match; technically it will be an ordinary match like any other, but the level of anticipation and interest in it will be enormous, especially since it is an early final against a big team".
Argentina's goals were scored by Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez, and Lautaro Martinez, while Dan Ndoye scored Switzerland's only goal.
The Argentine national team reached the semi-finals for the second consecutive time, which is happening for the first time since 1986 and 1990 when they won the first title and lost the second at that time.
The Argentine national team has not lost in the last 13 matches in the World Cup, with 11 wins and two draws.
The match witnessed Switzerland falling behind in the score for the first time during the 2026 edition.
The Argentine national team will meet England next Wednesday in the golden square at Atalanta Stadium at ten o'clock in the evening.
video:1
