Argentina on alert as Lautaro Martinez suffers second straight injury two months before 2026 World Cup

With a little over two months to go before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina are paying close attention to one of their stars, Lautaro Martinez, who suffered a new injury this week that will prevent him from returning to action in the short term.

“Lautaro Martinez aggravated his soleus muscle injury,” journalist Gaston Edul reported Friday via his official X account. The update, however, includes a positive detail compared to his previous muscle issue: “Not as serious.”

The striker has played just one official match in the last two months. In mid-February, he was sidelined by a muscle injury that forced him to miss Inter Milan’s UEFA Champions League playoff clash against Bodo/Glimt, as well as five Serie A matches and one Coppa Italia fixture.

After recovering from that setback last week, Martinez started in Inter Milan’s 5–2 win over AS Roma in Serie A on Sunday, where he scored twice. However, he has now suffered another setback that will force him to rest again. “He will be out for a few more days,” Edul added on X.

Argentina closely monitoring Lautaro Martinez’s situation

Although the 2026 FIFA World Cup is still over two months away, Argentina are closely monitoring Lautaro Martinez’s situation. The striker has been a key piece of Lionel Scaloni’s squad throughout his tenure as head coach and is expected to have a place in the 26-man roster heading to North America this summer.

However, the fact that Martinez is dealing with recurring physical issues so close to the tournament is a growing concern. In fact, he was left out of Scaloni’s latest squad during the March international break, when Argentina defeated Mauritania and Zambia in Buenos Aires.

Lautaro Martinez still has unfinished business at the World Cup

Despite playing a decisive role for Argentina in recent years—such as scoring the winning goal in the 2024 Copa America final against Colombia—Lautaro Martinez did not have the same impact during Argentina’s 2022 World Cup title run in Qatar.

He started as the team’s main striker in that tournament, but an ankle injury prevented him from being at full fitness. After just two matches, he lost his place in the starting lineup to Julian Alvarez.

That led to a disappointing campaign, as he failed to score during the entire World Cup. For that reason, North America 2026 carries special importance for Martinez, who will be looking to settle that unfinished business and deliver for Argentina on soccer’s biggest stage.