Argentina's Emi Martinez: 'It's us against the rest of the world'

Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez claims everyone wanted the Albiceleste to fail after the poor start that preceded their run to the World Cup final.

Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez starred as Argentina convincingly beat Croatia 3-0 in Tuesday's semifinal. Lionel Scaloni's outfit will face the winner of Wednesday's clash between France and Morocco on Sunday.

"We lost the first game - all of a sudden, it's everything upside down, people doubting us. Obviously, we lost the unbeaten run (at) 36 games. (Against) Mexico, the first half was a little bit sloppy. Everyone wanted us to lose," Martinez told beIN SPORTS' Aarran Summers after the Croatia match.

"It's us against the rest of the world. I'm so glad that this 26-group of players; they're all fighters. And we've got 45 million Argentinians all behind us."

Despite a distance of over 13,000 kilometers between the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires and Doha in Qatar, Argentina has drawn one of the most raucous followings at the tournament. Martinez credited the fans' support during his post-match interview.

"We feel the crowd on the streets - they're all full of Argentinians. Every time we play, we feel like we're at home," he said.

Martinez also brushed off concerns about Messi apparently dealing with a groin injury during the game, saying, "He wants to finish every game. Physically, he's really good."