Emi Martinez makes ‘one of the worst’ statement as he unleashes on Argentina duty

Aston Villa ace Martinez was not a happy man in Buenos Aires

10:23, 28 Mar 2026Updated 10:53, 28 Mar 2026

Emiliano Martinez of Argentina gestures during the international friendly match between Argentina and Mauritania at Estadio Alberto J. Armando(Image: Getty Images)

Emi Martinez slammed Argentina’s performance in a friendly against minnows Mauritania.

The World Cup holders won 2-1 at the Estadio Alberto José Armando in Buenos Aires thanks to goals from Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez and Como’s Nico Paz.

But Aston Villa ace Martinez was not happy and made his feeling very clear after the final whistle.

Delivering his verdict, he said: “Pretty poor. It was one of the worst games we’ve played, even for a friendly.

“We lacked heart, thank goodness we weren’t playing the Finalissima like this.”

Martinez and Argentina were set to play Spain in the Finalissima in Qatar on March 26, but the match was cancelled because of the war in the Middle East.

“We lacked play and speed,” Martinez added. “We need a bit more heart.

“We lacked intensity, defensive solidity, and conviction when defending.

“Maybe it’s good we didn’t play the Finalissima if we were going to play like this.”

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni agreed with Martinez, saying: “The team didn’t play a good match. We have to say that so we can work on improving.”

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