Lionel Messi grabbing a hat-trick in Argentina’s World Cup opener is the headline, but the story that should keep Manchester United fans glued to their screens is the man anchoring the backline. Lisandro Martinez didn’t just start Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria on Wednesday — he made the clean sheet look inevitable.
The 28-year-old center-back, who spent the second half of last season reclaiming his spot after returning from an ACL injury, was a quiet force in Lionel Scaloni’s defense. Playing his natural role on the left side of a back four — not the left-back slot some had speculated he might fill — Martinez showed precisely why he traveled to the World Cup in the first place.
The Position Debate That Never Happened
Coming into the group-stage match, there was chatter that Argentina’s injury problems at fullback might force Scaloni to shift Martinez out wide. According to reports, the coaching staff had considered it. But when the lineup dropped, Martinez was stationed alongside Cristian Romero at center-back, with Facundo Medina handling left-back duties instead. Scaloni made the call many fans online had hoped for: keep your best defender where he does the most damage.
It paid off. The Algerian attack, which had shown flashes in recent friendlies, found itself trapped against a wall of discipline. Martinez wasn’t dribbled past a single time across the full 90 minutes — a stat that underscores just how locked in he was.
By the Numbers: A Quiet Masterclass
Martinez finished the match with 75 touches — tied for the second-most on the team behind Enzo Fernandez’s 79. He completed 64 of 68 pass attempts, good for a 94% completion rate. He won both of his duels, made two tackles (including one that stopped a clear goal-scoring chance), and added three clearances and an interception. When he did lose the ball, it was only four times — a tiny number for a center-back asked to build from the back against a pressing opponent.
The performance felt like a direct continuation of the form he showed in the second half of last season at United. After Amorim’s departure and Carrick’s arrival, Martinez formed a sturdy partnership with Harry Maguire in a back four. That pairing helped United finish third in the Premier League. Seeing that same composure translate to the international stage only deepened the sense that Martinez is peaking at the right moment.
What It Means Going Forward
Messi will deservedly take the spotlight — his 76th-minute hat-trick goal sealed the result after earlier strikes in the 17th and 60th minutes. But for Argentina to go deep in this tournament, they’ll need the defense to hold up against heavier firepower than Algeria brought. Martinez’s ability to organize the backline and snuff out threats before they develop will be critical.
For United fans, the hope is straightforward: keep him healthy. After a season interrupted by recovery from a serious knee injury, Martinez’s assured start is a reminder of the player Carrick will have at his disposal in the fall. If he stays on the pitch for the rest of this World Cup — and avoids the kind of knocks that have derailed his past campaigns — the 2026-27 season at Old Trafford might look very different from the injury-riddled one that preceded it.
Sometimes the biggest stories aren’t the ones with the most goals. Sometimes they’re the ones that make the goals possible.
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