Spain vs. Argentina: Martinez refutes favouritism claims — 'We did not choose our opponents'

Argentina will face Spain in Sunday's World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, a match that will be contested in sweltering conditions after a week of smoke-affected air quality in New Jersey due to Canadian wildfires.

Temperatures of around 28 degrees Celsius are forecast for kick-off, with showers expected on Saturday improving conditions before the final showdown.

Emiliano Martinez used his pre-final press conference to address head-on the narrative that Argentina have benefited from a favourable run of opponents, the Albiceleste having beaten Algeria, Austria and Jordan in the group stage before needing extra time against Cape Verde, Egypt, Switzerland and England in the knockout rounds.

'We did not choose our opponents'

'People saying we had an easy path to the final? We did not choose our opponents,' Martinez said. 'For example, we had to face Portugal in the quarter-finals, but Colombia dominated against Portugal, then Switzerland beat Colombia, and we ended up playing Switzerland. We had a very difficult game against them.'

The Aston Villa goalkeeper has himself been a subject of scrutiny throughout the tournament.

Unlike his heroics in Qatar — where his penalty shootout saves against the Netherlands and France became defining images of the 2022 triumph — Martinez has not yet produced those pivotal moments.

He conceded twice against Cape Verde and twice more against Egypt before Argentina mounted their late comebacks, and he acknowledged during the tournament that he had not yet reached the level he expected of himself.

What went unreported at the time is now emerging: according to multiple sources, Martinez played through the entire tournament with a hand injury, continuing to compete when he was far from fully fit.

'The margin of error is very small'

Martinez was measured but clear about what the final will require from Argentina. 'The margin of error is very small. We made some defensive errors, but if someone scores one or two goals, it is enough to keep a clean sheet and be crowned.'

On Spain, he was equally respectful and pragmatic. 'It is not just about Lamine, they have a great group, they work very hard as a team.'

He was also quick to dismiss the idea that Argentina's path to the final has been built on good fortune alone. 'I do not think there is another squad that adapts to different situations the way ours does,' he added, pointing to the physical and climatic challenges Argentina have navigated across different host cities and conditions throughout the tournament.