After their much-needed win in the final of the FIFA World Cup 2022 over France, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, known for his sharp comments and antics on the field, trolled France star Kylian Mbappe while celebrating the triumph in their dressing room. The video went viral on defender Nicolas Otamendi's Instagram account, and where he joined in the post-game celebrations.
The Argentina players were celebrating their World Cup victory, during which Martinez paused to troll the Paris St. Germain (PSG) star. The World Cup-winning players requested a minute of silence for France's star forward, after which Martinez says, For Mbappe who is dead,' earning cheers and jeers from his teammates.
See the video here:
This comes after Martinez said that he was 'kicked three times' by Mbappe. "I lived the penalties quietly," the Aston Villa goalkeeper said in quotes reported on Argentina's Twitter account. "Again, they kicked me three times, and they scored three goals. But I think I did everything right afterwards. I left a very humble place and, as a young man, I went to England. I want to dedicate this to my family."
The retort of Argentina and Martinez might have stemmed from the comments made by the 23-year-old back in May, where he claimed that South American football was 'less advanced' than in Europe. Seven months later, Argentina defeated France in the World Cup final to clinch their FIFA title.
"The advantage we have in Europe is that we play among ourselves with high-level matches all the time, such as the Nations League, for example. When we arrive at the World Cup, we are ready, whereas Brazil and Argentina do not have this level in South America. Football is not as advanced as in Europe. That’s why at the last World Cups, it’s always the Europeans who win," Mbappe said.
In response to these comments, Martinez said, "He doesn’t know enough about football. He never played in South America. When you don’t have this experience, it may be better not to talk about it. But it doesn’t matter. We are a great team, recognised as such."
