Dibu Martinez Celebrates Finalissima Cancellation vs. Spain: 'We Would Have Lost'

The friendly match between Argentina and Spain, known as the Finalissima, scheduled for Friday, was canceled due to disagreements in the organization. The event, initially planned in Qatar, generated controversy between the associations of both countries. Dibu Martinez, after the 2-1 victory against Mauritania in Buenos Aires, admitted to feeling relieved by the suspension of the match.

Martinez openly expressed his frustration with Argentina's performance in the friendly, where they secured a narrow victory against a team ranked 115th in the FIFA rankings and that failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The goalkeeper highlighted the lack of intensity, fluidity in the game, and defensive solidity as the main deficiencies.

The Argentine goalkeeper, visibly disappointed, described the friendly as one of the worst played by the national team. He pointed to the lack of intensity, game construction, speed, and defensive solidity as the main shortcomings. Martinez emphasized the need to improve performance every time the national team shirt is worn, urging them to show more heart and commitment in each match.

The match against Mauritania served as preparation for the 2026 World Cup, a tournament that Argentina faces with high expectations. The cancellation of the match against Spain, although regretted by some, gave the team the opportunity to focus on improving their performance and correcting the deficiencies detected.

Despite the criticisms, Martinez expressed confidence in Argentina's performance heading into the 2026 World Cup. Faced with the opinion of some Spanish journalists who questioned Argentina's chances, the goalkeeper recalled the performance in the previous World Cup. Martinez reminded that in the last World Cup they didn't play many big matches beforehand and still had a great tournament.

The Aston Villa goalkeeper, sent a direct message to Spain: 'It's one game at a time. We have experience going deep in the World Cup, they don't.' Argentina has experience in getting far in the World Cup, while Spain does not.

After the 2-1 victory over Mauritania, Argentina will have time to rest and train before their next challenge. On Tuesday, they will face Zambia, also in Buenos Aires, in their final home match before the 2026 World Cup. By the end of May, Lionel Scaloni will have to finalize the 26-man roster that will represent Argentina in the FIFA tournament.

During the June international break, they will play two friendlies in the United States before their group-stage opener. One of those matches will likely be against Serbia, as Scaloni acknowledged earlier this week.

Coach Lionel Scaloni will have the task of defining the final list of 26 players who will represent Argentina in the 2026 World Cup. This process will culminate at the end of May, after evaluating the performance of the players in the upcoming matches and training sessions.

Before their debut in the group stage of the World Cup, Argentina will play two friendly matches in the United States during the June international break. One of these matches could be against Serbia, a rival that Scaloni is already considering for the team's preparation.