The Argentine hero of the 2026 World Cup once faced an incident in Vietnam.

Before emerging as the star who guided Argentina to the 2026 World Cup final, Lautaro Martinez sustained a severe injury in a 2017 friendly encounter with Vietnam U22.

Lautaro Martinez has just become the hero of the Argentine national team. He scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, helping his team come from behind to defeat England and secure a place in the 2026 World Cup final. Few know that before rising to become one of the world's top strikers, the Inter Milan forward had an unforgettable experience at My Dinh Stadium during a 2017 friendly against Vietnam U22.

In May 2017, Argentina's U20 team traveled to Vietnam to prepare for the U20 World Cup in South Korea. After defeating Vietnam's U20 in Ho Chi Minh City, the Tango side played a friendly against Vietnam U22 at My Dinh Stadium. At that time, Lautaro Martinez was only 19, still a young talent from Racing Club, and had not yet established a name on the international stage.

In the second half, Lautaro Martinez had a fierce duel with center-back Tran Dinh Khuong. After a heavy collision, the Argentine striker fell to the ground and could not continue playing. Medical staff immediately entered the field, stabilized his neck, placed him on a stretcher, and transferred him directly to Viet-Phap Hospital. The image of Lautaro leaving the field in pain once caused great concern among fans.

Tests confirmed that Lautaro Martinez had a broken nose. The injury occurred right before the U20 World Cup, putting the young striker at risk of missing the tournament. Although he recovered in time to travel to South Korea with Argentina U20, he had to play with a protective mask. The tournament did not go as expected, as he received a red card in the match against England U20, was suspended, and watched Argentina exit in the group stage.

The incident in Vietnam and the failure at the U20 World Cup did not break Lautaro Martinez. Just one year later, he joined Inter Milan and gradually proved his class. The striker born in 1997 became a cornerstone of the Milan club, winning numerous domestic titles, while rising to become one of the most complete forwards in Europe.

Wearing the Argentina national team jersey, Lautaro continued to achieve success with the Copa America 2021, World Cup 2022, and Copa America 2024. Now, when he just scored to send Argentina into the 2026 World Cup final, the 28-year-old striker stands on the verge of adding another major trophy to his collection. This journey becomes even more special when recalling that it was in Vietnam where he experienced one of the most memorable injuries of his career.