Lautaro

Career Story

From Bahia Blanca to over 100 goals for the Nerazzurri: it has been a dream journey, one of growth and hard work. Lautaro Martinez was born on 22 August 1997 in the Argentinian city that lies at the border of La Pampa and Patagonia. It's a place that is surrounded by two vast plains and is an important port for the export of food and agricultural products. Bahia Blanca is by nature dynamic, constantly changing, just like Lautaro. Talent, determination and a tireless engine has always stood out throughout his career, qualities that have made him become one of the best strikers in the world.

His journey began at Liniers, where he accompanied his father who played for them. He observed, watched on and picked things up. He was a defender as a child, but over time moved further forward to score goals and develop his now distinct unpredictability. And it was destiny that this unpredicatability was a recurring theme in his life, bringing about various concidential events. His first-team debut for Racing was something magical, coming on for the hero of Madrid, Diego Milito. He would go on to play four seasons for the Club from Avellaneda, before moving to Inter following the footsteps of 'El Principe'; this was to be one of those coincidences.

For those born in a port city, like Lautaro, they know that it can be a tough place to live, but at the same time it helps you to not be afraid of what is beyond the horizon. His impact in the Nerazzurri jersey was gradual and went somewhat under the radar. In his first season, he grabbed nine goals, then 21 in his second, before 19 the one after, 25 in his fourth and 28 last year: a steady growth combined with the innate ability to bring new meaning to footballing term sacrifice and suffering, which have become his most important human values.

With Argentina in 2022, he lived every footballer's dream by becoming a World Cup champion. The year before, he played his part in winning the Copa America. For the Albiceleste, he has scored 21 goals in 48 caps.

For the Nerazzurri, El Toro has won one Scudetto, two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana, collecting 239 appearances and netting 102 goals.

Numbers and victories that have consolidated his leadership on the pitch, leading him to become Club captain this season.