Lautaro Martinez struck in the 121st minute to help Argentina on their way to the 2026 World Cup semi-final in the early hours of Sunday morning, but some feel that the Inter skipper was fortunate to avoid a second yellow and a suspension for the upcoming last-four tie with England. Here’s why El Toro escaped punishment.
How Lautaro Martinez escaped second yellow card in Argentina 3-1 Switzerland
Lautaro was initially named on the substitutes’ bench for Argentina’s eventual 3-1 quarter-final win against Switzerland in Kansas City, but emerged off the bench in the 84th minute and contributed his nation’s third goal of the night in the 121st minute of the tie to put the game beyond any doubt.
Lautaro was on a booking at the time of his goal, and some eagle-eyed fans believe that he should have been shown a second yellow and sent off for his celebrations. Had that been the case, the Inter striker would have been suspended for the World Cup semi-final against England coming up on Wednesday night.
That is because Lautaro jumped over the advertising hoardings and went right up to the Argentina supporters behind the goal while celebrating his 121st-minute settler.
Under the IFAB laws of the game, a player should be shown a yellow card if he approaches supporters in a way that creates any potential crowd safety issues.
However, as Lautaro’s celebrations in front of the stands only lasted for a brief moment, and given that he didn’t even attempt to touch or engage with the fans in front of him, the officials felt that this specific incident did not require further punishment.
Lautaro Martinez with the icing on the cake for Argentina
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— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 12, 2026
