Lisandro Martínez was injured before halftime in the final
Lionel Scaloni was forced to make a change before the end of the first half in the final because of a fitness issue with Lisandro Martínez. The news adds to a showdown that left the Argentina national team showing signs of fatigue and several forced changes.
The World Cup final left a worrying picture for the Argentina national team: Lionel Scaloni was forced to make a change before the end of the first half because of Lisandro Martínez's injury. The center-back became one of the night’s biggest physical question marks and set off alarm bells ahead of what comes next.
The situation came in a final in which Argentina, in addition, ended up hindered by other setbacks. The team was exposed to a string of blows that kept narrowing Scaloni’s room for maneuver in a context where every tactical adjustment also became a matter of survival.
A forced change at the least expected moment
The clearest point from the day is that Scaloni had to step in before halftime because of the issue involving Lisandro Martínez. That early move not only altered the original plan, but also made it clear that the final was played at full stretch from the opening whistle.
- Lisandro Martínez came off affected by an injury.
- Lionel Scaloni had to change the team before the end of the first half.
- The Argentina national team finished the match with little margin to manage substitutions.
At the same time, other reports from the end of the final spoke of an Albiceleste affected by injuries, by the sending-off of Enzo Fernández and by the lack of available alternatives. All of that led to an Argentina that finished the match with a much tighter structure than expected.
The final and what it leaves for the Scaloneta
Beyond the sporting result, the focus of the day was on how Argentina arrived at the final stretch of the World Cup and on the wear and tear it had been accumulating throughout the showdown. The international press agreed that Scaloni’s side tried to turn the final into a physical battle, although it failed to impose that script for the entire match.
Along those same lines, different analyses highlighted the difficulty of sticking to the plan when the physical problems and forced decisions appeared. Lionel Messi's presence remained central, but the context of the final showed that the national team needed much more than its captain to get through the match.
The end of the day also left powerful images around Scaloni. BBC Sport reported that the Argentine coach left his post-final press conference in tears when speaking about his future, a sign of the emotional weight left by the defeat.
What comes next
With the final now over, attention turns to what Argentina will look like on the road to the World Cup 2026 and to the next fixtures the coaching staff puts together. In the short term, the most sensitive issue remains the condition of Lisandro Martínez, on a day that left the Argentina national team with a medical concern and several signs of competitive fatigue.
For now, the only clear thing is that the Albiceleste closes this chapter with a final that forced Scaloni to improvise ahead of schedule and with the spotlight on the rebuilding that lies ahead.
