When Argentina plays France in the World Cup Final, Man Utd defender Lisandro Martinez will face Raphael Varane.
After Argentina’s quarterfinal victory over the Netherlands, Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez struggled to contain his tears as he paid tribute to his grandparents in an interview. A video of the heartfelt exchange has since surfaced as the South American team advanced to the World Cup final.
The United defender helped his country keep a clean sheet and secure a spot in the World Cup final as Martinez came off the bench to play the final 30 minutes of Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Croatia.
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Every time Lionel Scaloni switches to his center-back, the 24-year-old continues to impress. He has played in all but one of his country’s matches.
Raphael Varane, a fellow Red, is anticipated to start for Didier Deschamps’ team on December 18, putting France in a position to win the World Cup as the only remaining obstacle. Since joining the team this summer, Martinez has won over United supporters with his zeal on and off the field.
Martinez gave one of his most memorable performances at the Qatar tournament during his team’s thrilling penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. The center-back talked to the media following the triumph and was visibly moved as he dedicated it to his late grandparents.
After Argentina qualified for the competition’s final, footage of the interview with Diego Korol comforting the United player as he sobbed is now making its way online. Through her sobs, Martinez struggled to speak until finally exclaiming, “[This triumph is] to my grandparents who are no longer with us.”
Martinez stated that he has dreamed of this moment his entire life, so it is not surprising to see how much Argentina reaching the final means to him.
“I know any player will say that playing in a World Cup is a dream, but I have been dreaming [of this moment] since I was a child,” he said to the club media.
“I used to pretend that I was at the World Cup while I was playing on the street after receiving my first Argentina jersey. Now that it’s occurring, I want to honor my loved ones and my supporters.”