Lautaro Martínez praises Argentina’s comeback win over Egypt

Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt in Atlanta turned on a comeback that left Lautaro Martínez praising more than just the final score. The Inter de Milán forward said it was “muy difícil” and added that he had not seen anything like it “hace tiempo,” after Argentina fell 2-0 behind before clawing its way back to win.

Martínez pointed to the physical challenge Egypt posed and the damage it caused in transition. He said the African side had punished Argentina with counterattacks and made the game far harder than the champions expected, a description that fit the way the match nearly slipped away before Argentina recovered control.

That response matters because FIFA presented the fixture as a Round of 16 match in the 2026 World Cup, with Argentina arriving as group winner and Egypt reaching the knockout stage for the first time in the tournament after beating Australia on penalties. The margin for error was thin, and Argentina spent part of the night on the edge of an exit that would have stunned a team entering the knockout rounds as one of the tournament favorites.

Martínez framed the turnaround as a collective act of character. He said the comeback reflected the squad’s “ganas, humildad y sacrificio,” language that matched the way Argentina had to fight through a spell of pressure before turning the game around in Atlanta. For a side that has carried the weight of being reigning world champions, the result offered a reminder that this campaign may be defined as much by recovery under stress as by talent.

The 28-year-old Martínez, born on Aug. 22, 1997, remains one of Argentina’s main attacking figures and is listed by ESPN as a forward for Inter de Milán. In a tournament where one loss can end a title defense, Argentina’s escape against Egypt offered a sharper measure of its ambitions than any comfortable win could have done.