Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez struggled to hold back the tears as he paid tribute to his grandparents in an interview after Argentina's quarter-final win against the Netherlands, with a video now emerging of the touching moment after the South American side reached the World Cup final.
Martinez came off the bench to play the final half an hour of Argentina's 3-0 win over Croatia as the United defender helped his country to not only keep a clean sheet, but also confirm their place in the World Cup final. The 24-year-old has featured in all but one of his national side's games, continuing to impress every time Lionel Scaloni turns to his centre-back.
France are all that stand between Argentina and World Cup victory, with fellow Red Raphael Varane expected to line up for Didier Deschamps' side on December 18. Martinez's passion both on and off the pitch has endeared himself to United fans since his arrival at the club this summer.
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One of Martinez's stand out performances from the tournament in Qatar came during the quarter-final win over the Netherlands, as he helped his country win a breathtaking match on penalties. After the win, the centre-back spoke to the media and was clearly emotional as he dedicated the victory to his late grandparents.
Journalist Diego Korol comforted the United man as he broke down in tears, with footage of the interview now emerging online after Argentina booked their place in the final of the competition. Martinez struggled to get any words out through the tears, before saying: "[This victory is] to my grandparents who are no longer here."
It is no surprise to see how much Argentina reaching the final means to Martinez, after he revealed that he had dreamt of this moment all of his life.
He told club media : "I know every player will say that to play at a World Cup is a dream but I have been dreaming [of this moment] since I was a child.
"When I was given my first Argentina jersey, I used to imagine, when I was playing on the street, that I was at the World Cup. Now it is happening, I want to make my family and the fans proud."
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