Lautaro Martínez, the goalscorer who brought home a new Copa América

His early coaches can attest that El Toro, as he is affectionately known, always had the ability to come back stronger.

Living and breathing football

Martinez was born in the port city of Bahia Blanca in Buenos Aires province, which is actually more famous for basketball: three of the 12 gold medalists in basketball from Athens 2004 were born there, including Emanuel “Manu” Ginobili. But Martinez comes from a family of footballers: His father Mario was a professional and played five seasons in the Primera B, the country’s second division, with Villa Mitre.

That experience helped him understand from a very young age what it took to be a professional, he says. Alberto Desideri, Martinez’s first coach in the Liniers Athletic Clubthe team of his city.

“He was focused on what he had to eat, making the most of every training session and putting in the hard work in the gym,” Desideri told the Herald. “Most young players need to be pushed in that direction, but he already had it in him.”

Martinez was never one to resist early mornings, regardless of the weather. “If we scheduled training at 8 in the morning, he was delighted, because that meant he could spend more time playing,” he recalled. Guillermo Puliafitocoordinator of the Liniers youth teams when Toro was rising through the ranks. Located about 600 kilometers south of the city of Buenos Aires, Bahía Blanca is closer to many tourist destinations in Patagonia than the capital, and in winter temperatures can drop below zero.

“He and his brother Alan would cycle five or six kilometres to get to training and arrive with a smile on their faces”Pulafito said. “That was always his mentality.”

Desideri’s son was Martinez’s age and would pick them up from training. The younger Martinez would often sit in the back seat, discussing tactics on the way home.

“He was talking about the next match, about who was playing well on the opposing team, who we would have to be careful with,” said the coach. He subsequently coached Martínez in his only matches with Liniers’ first team in the Bahía Blanca regional league, before moving to Racing Club. “He was like another coach, focused on the game”he recalled.

Always giving their best

In addition to all that hard work and focus, it was clear from a young age that Martinez had a gift. The regional league in Bahia Blanca is one of the strongest in the country and several players from the city’s clubs turned professional. Still, according to Desideri, Martinez dominated the Under-10 category, to the despair of his rivals.

“At that age, goalkeepers usually don’t reach the crossbar,” he said, “so every time we took a free kick close to the opponent’s box he was able to score, because he had an incredibly powerful shot.”

In a match against Olimpo, one of the biggest teams in the division, the opposing coach even asked Desideri to bring on Martinez. He had already scored two goals in the first half and the coach was afraid that he would give them too much of an advantage. Desideri refused and Martinez scored two more goals. Liniers won 6-2.

According to Puliafito, Martínez also stood out in unknown positions, such as when Liniers had to face difficult teams in tournaments.

“Sometimes we couldn’t get past the halfway line, and Lautaro couldn’t touch the ball,” he recalls. “So we sent him to play as a defender and he instantly became the best player on the pitch, even though he had trained for that. He never complained, because his mentality was always giving his best.”

That mentality caught the attention of the youth team coach Racing ClubFabio Radaelli, on a trip to Bahía Blanca, where Martínez took his first steps as a professional player.

Back where it all began

Martínez moved to Argentine football giants Racing Club in the Buenos Aires suburb of Avellaneda in January 2014. Living in a new city at just 16 soon made him homesick. With the support of his family and teammates, he decided to stay the course.

His debut in the first division would come almost two years later, on October 31, 2015.when he replaced club legend Diego Milito in the 78th minute of a match against Crucero del Norte. In November 2016 he scored his first goal in an Academia shirt, taking advantage of a cross from another Qatar 2022 winner, Marcos Acuña, against Huracán.

He scored 27 goals in 62 appearances for Racing, attracting the interest of Italian giants Inter Milan. In July 2018 he signed with the Milanese team for around 20 million euros.

At Inter, Martinez became one of the best strikers in the world. He won Serie A titles in 2020-21 and 2023-24, when he was also the league’s top scorer. In 2023, he led the historic team to its first UEFA Champions League final since 2010.

Martínez, however, never forgot his roots. As a Racing Club player, he welcomed the Liniers team that traveled to Buenos Aires to play against the Academia. After winning the Copa América in 2021, he spent 10 days in Bahía Blanca and trained with the Liniers squad for nine of them. “He apologized for the day he missed,” Puliafito said. “He stayed there signing autographs for a long line of kids from his neighborhood.”

For his coaches, watching Martínez is a source of great pride but also admiration for his work. “Everyone does their bit,” said Desideri, who also coached top-level Argentine players such as Agustín Bouzat and Francisco Pizzini. “The family gives what their money allows, the player gives everything and the coaches and the club give what they can. Seeing him there is incredible.”

Martinez’s resurgence at the 2024 Copa America can be explained in a similar way. The experience and support of his family, his determination to succeed and the unwavering backing of his coaches have shaped a player who never gave up. The Argentine national team is enjoying the result of a process that began long ago in Bahía Blanca.