Lautaro: “It wasn’t the World Cup I expected. I would have taken the fifth penalty against France”

The player was very well received in Bahia and awarded by the city authorities: he spoke of his experience in Qatar

In Bahia Bianca, where he was born, they welcomed Lautaro Martinez as a world champion. He was applauded and awarded by the town authorities. And he with the Argentina shirt and the gold medal around his neck spoke honestly about what happened at the World Cup in Qatar: «It wasn’t the World Cup I expected, physically I also had a little discomfort in my ankle and I wasn’t able to do well. But I did a lot to be there, to help my teammates get where we are and this was a great happiness for me, for my family and for all of Argentina».

The Inter striker also spoke about the decisive penalty scored against the Netherlands, which earned them the passage to the semi-finals. “I was very confident. I had decided to kick the other way. Then, when the referee blew his whistle and I took a running start, I decided to stop. I saw the goalkeeper move a second early and decided to change direction. Luckily he dived on the other side and the penalty went inside. Happiness was double, we snatched the pass for the semifinals. The controversy over the teasing with the Dutch? Field issues. Sometimes we play with that too. At that moment you have to be clear-headed and calm», added Lautaro who also revealed that he would have taken the fifth penalty with the France. “And I would have kicked him hard, in the middle, like dad kicked.” There was no need: before his shot Argentina were already world champions. Like him.