Lautaro Martínez Praises River, Eases Tensions After Acuña Incident, and Encourages Mastantuono

Following Inter’s 2-0 win over River Plate in the Club World Cup, Lautaro Martínez shared his admiration for the Argentine side’s performance, helped cool off a post-match scuffle, and offered kind words to River starlet Franco Mastantuono.

“River play very well. They pressed us high for the first 55 minutes, then eased up and we found space,” said Lautaro. “I congratulated Gallardo and the players. They had a great tournament and deserved more. These games are decided by details.”

Martínez acknowledged River’s intensity and competitiveness, emphasizing that both River and Boca had positive overall showings despite their eliminations. “They played against top-tier teams and made things difficult. They just lacked a bit of luck.”

The Inter striker also addressed the heated moment between Marcos Acuña and Denzel Dumfries near the end of the match. “I talked to Marcos. He’s a great guy—I’ve known him since Racing. It stayed on the pitch. They made peace in the locker room and it’s over,” Lautaro explained.

Lastly, he spoke about Franco Mastantuono, the River prodigy bound for Real Madrid. “We spoke recently with the national team too. I congratulated him. He has a bright future. He’s young and should be allowed to grow. He’ll be important in the future.”