Argentina needed a hero on Friday night. Turns out they had two. While Lionel Messi is usually the one pulling the strings, it was Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez who did the heavy lifting in a chaotic 3-2 win over Cabo Verde in the World Cup’s Round of 32.
Martinez, fresh off a strong second half of the season at Old Trafford, was everywhere. And I mean everywhere. He played the kind of game that makes coaches fall in love — 131 touches, 120 passes with a 98 percent completion rate, and one assist that Messi turned into history. That assist, a perfectly weighted long ball in the 29th minute, set up Messi for his record 20th World Cup goal.
But the night wasn’t supposed to be that close. Argentina had rolled through the group stage, winning all three games and keeping two clean sheets. Lionel Scaloni made nine changes for this one, resting starters including Martinez against Jordan in the final group match. The message was clear: we’ve got this. But Cabo Verde didn’t get the memo.
The Butcher steps up again
When Cabo Verde equalized through Deroy Duarte in the 59th minute, the game started to feel like one of those nights. Argentina pushed but couldn’t break through, and the match went to extra time. That’s when Martinez turned from defender to striker.
In the 92nd minute, Messi swung in a corner. The ball fell to Martinez at the back post. He took one touch to settle himself, then unleashed a finish that looked like it belonged to a center forward, not a center back. It was clinical, surprising, and exactly what Argentina needed.
Except Cabo Verde still wasn’t done. Sidny Lopes Cabral hit a stunning equalizer in the 108th minute, and suddenly Argentina was staring at penalties against a team ranked 50th in the world. But an own goal from Diney in the 111th minute finally broke Cabo Verde’s resistance.
Flawless at the back, too
Here’s the thing about Martinez’s performance that might get overlooked in the chaos. He was never dribbled past. Not once. Six clearances, one interception, one block. He won two of three aerial duels and one of two ground duels. For a guy listed at 5-foot-9 playing center back at a World Cup, that’s absurd.
According to Sofascore, his 98 percent pass completion rate wasn’t just safe sideways stuff either. Five of his six long balls hit their target. He created one big chance. The only blemish was losing possession four times, which honestly feels low for a game that stretched 120 minutes.
For Manchester United fans watching, this was a reminder that Martinez should be a cornerstone of the defense next season. His contract runs through 2027, but with performances like this, INEOS might want to start thinking about an extension sooner rather than later.
Argentina moves on to the Round of 16. They’ll need to play better than this to repeat as champions. But nights like Friday are why they’re still in the tournament — because when Messi isn’t quite enough, they’ve got a butcher in the back who can finish like a surgeon.
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