According to L'Équipe, Lautaro was once again relegated to the bench in this FIFA World Cup, but broke his FIFA World Cup jinx by scoring crucial goals that helped Argentina reach the final.

It is precisely such "details" that reflect Scaloni's coaching prowess and the team spirit within the Argentine squad. As Argentina advanced to Sunday's final against Spain, captain Messi stepped up multiple times, and the team displayed strong collective fighting spirit and resilience. In the Round of 16 match against Egypt, Montiel and Lautaro came on as substitutes, contributing the team's second and third goals respectively (eventually winning 3-2). In the quarter-final against Switzerland, the Internazionale striker scored again, sealing the 3-1 victory in extra time. In the semi-final against England, he delivered the most crucial moment—a header in injury time to secure a 2-1 victory for Argentina, sending them to the final.

Speaking of this decisive moment, the usually reserved Lautaro uncharacteristically revealed his deepest feelings. "From the first time my father bought me boots, I've always dreamed of scoring a goal like that," he said with tears in his eyes, "I want to dedicate this goal to my mother. Since I joined Racing Club (at 16, where he completed his youth training and became a professional player), every time I went to play, she would make my bed for me. This goal means much more than just a goal, and much more than a final."

These heartfelt words might also explain his previous poor performances in the FIFA World Cup. Lautaro's relationship with the tournament has never been smooth; he always seemed constrained by the intensity of major competitions. Despite his excellent overall statistics for the national team (40 goals in 84 appearances, fourth in Argentina's all-time scoring list, behind only Messi, Batistuta, and Agüero), he has never been able to perform at his best in the FIFA World Cup. A similar situation occurred in the Champions League, where he was consistently unable to replicate his dominant performances in Serie A—he was crowned Serie A top scorer in both the 2023-24 and 2025-26 seasons.

His start to this FIFA World Cup in the USA looked like a terrible "sequel." Scaloni started him in the first four matches, but his performance was sluggish, only managing to score a penalty in a "walkover" group stage match against Jordan (3-1). After that, he lost his starting spot from the Round of 16 onwards, replaced by Julián Álvarez.

This scene was eerily similar to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Back then, he also started the first two matches before being benched, watching his younger competitor shine (4 goals in 5 appearances). Although Argentina coach Scaloni repeatedly stated he was satisfied with the performance of both strikers, Lautaro was clearly struggling internally. "It's not easy, especially for Lautaro," Scaloni said after the quarter-final, "He lost his starting position, but played a decisive role in the two matches he came on as a substitute. I have to thank him for his professionalism. Benching the Serie A top scorer was not an easy decision for me either. It's difficult to give everyone playing time. The players understand, of course, those who don't play aren't happy, but they are all looking forward."

Internazionale will have a player in the FIFA World Cup final for the 12th consecutive time.

Lautaro did it. Just like the Argentina team, he never stopped believing in his own destiny, a belief stemming from the maturity of being 28 and being a father. "Since having children, my life has changed," he explained, "I am a man now, and I want to enjoy these moments. I will try not to cry, because I have cried many times already." He continued: "I dreamed of this scenario, I swear. I told Alexis (Mac Allister) that I would score. On the bench, I told Facu (Medina) that I would come on and win the game." When he returned from the Qatar FIFA World Cup, he was a champion, but with a bitter taste in his mouth—as a forward, he failed to score in that tournament and didn't make a substantial impact on the matches. This time, regardless of the outcome of Sunday's final, he is already the semi-final hero for Argentina against England, an indispensable key figure in this team's journey.

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