Captain of Inter Milan, a star of the Argentina national team and a nominee for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. Lautaro Martínez is now one of the most feared strikers on the planet.

However, before becoming one of the top scorers dominating European football, ‘El Toro’ was just one decision away from pursuing a different sport.

At the age of 15, faced with the success he was also enjoying in another discipline, the striker had to make the toughest choice of his youth.

Bahía Blanca: The basket over the goal

Lautaro Martínez grew up in Bahía Blanca, an Argentine city known as the ‘basketball capital’. It is there that greats such as Manu Ginóbili hail.

On the streets of Bahía Blanca, there are more basketball hoops than football goals. Literally.

There, Lautaro used to play intense two-on-two games at the Villa Mitre club alongside his father Mario and his brothers Alan and Jano.

Without going any further, Jano Martínez, currently a professional point guard in the Argentine League, recalled with a laugh the Inter star’s basketball days in an interview with ‘Panenka’.

“Lautaro is a ball-handler, a point guard with a very good shot. Back then, at the age of 15, he almost chose basketball when my dad asked him to decide between the two sports. But of course, he was already very good at football,” he said.

Even Lautaro himself admitted how close he came to taking the path to the court: “It’s true, I’ve always really liked basketball and if I hadn’t stuck with football, I’d surely be giving basketball a go.”

“In fact, even today, if I have to choose what to watch on the telly, I’d rather watch a basketball match,” revealed the Inter and Argentina striker, to everyone’s surprise.

Years later, in comments reported by ‘Basquet Plus’, the striker reaffirmed his love for the sport.

“As a lad I used to play basketball, but at 15 I had to choose and I opted for football. But if I weren’t a footballer, I’d play basketball – I love it,” he said.

How basketball has shaped his football

That training on wooden courts was not merely a childhood pastime. In practice, it became the biomechanical and tactical foundation of his current game.

The skills Lautaro acquired through basketball are what now make the difference when he faces tight defences in European top-flight football:

  • Back-to-goal play: He uses his hips and low centre of gravity to hold off the centre-back, shield the ball and turn before his opponent can anticipate his move.

  • Timing for the header: Despite being just 1.74 m tall, he calculates the ball’s highest point and positions himself in the air exactly as if he were fighting for a rebound under the basket.

  • Use of the pivot foot: In the six-yard box, he balances on one leg to turn quickly away from his marker, using his body as a shield to set up a first-time shot.

Today, firmly established at the pinnacle of world football and once again nominated for the Ballon d'Or award, Lautaro Martínez shows that those basketball fundamentals have not been lost…

Quite simply, in a way, they ‘mutated’ and helped ‘El Toro’ gain an edge to establish himself as one of the best strikers of today.