Inter star Lautaro ends lengthy Argentina goal drought | OneFootball

After 18 months, Inter striker Lautaro Martinez has finally found the back of the net once again with the Argentina national team.

The 26-year-old has been one of the most in-form centre forwards in Europe this term, playing a leading role in the Nerazzurri’s charge to the Scudetto. His market value has continued to rise and the club are working on a new long-term contract, keen to lock down their star.

Whilst Lautaro has only continued to grow with Inter, he’s struggled to carry this prolific form across to Argentina, netting just 22 goals across 56 caps. He was kept quiet at the 2022 World Cup, with his only goal being chalked off for a tight offside against Saudi Arabia.

Argentina faced off against Costa Rica in their second friendly of this international break on Tuesday night, cruising to a 3-1 win. In the 77th minute, Lautaro capped off the win with a close-range strike, ending a personal source of frustration.

The 26-year-old hadn’t scored for his national team since their 3-0 friendly win over Honduras back in September 2022, just over 18 months ago.

Lautaro stats

This season, the 26-year-old striker has scored 26 goals and provided five assists in 2908 minutes of action across 37 total appearances.