Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez started in Argentina’s opening World Cup group stage match against Algeria.
Lisandro Martinez is one of 14 Manchester United players competing at the 2026 World Cup this summer, and he helped the defending champions Argentina kickstart their tournament with a dominant win.
In 2022, Martinez lifted the World Cup with Argentina, and he is back with the squad to try and defend their crown.
Despite reports that Martinez could play at left-back for Argentina, he started the match as one of two centre-backs alongside United-linked Cristian Romero.
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What Argentina’s media said about Lisandro Martinez vs Algeria
Argentina won 3-0 in their opening group match against Algeria and, unsurprisingly, it is Lionel Messi who is hogging headlines after his first-ever World Cup hat-trick.
Naturally, the spotlight is on Messi, but Argentine media also had plenty to say about Martinez’s performance.
La Pagina Millonaria gave Martinez a brilliant 9/10 rating for his performance, and wrote: “Impassable in the first half.
“Solid in the air and almost no advantage given up in one-on-one situations or in Algeria’s collective attacks. In the second half, he maintained the same level and formed a wall alongside Cuti Romero.”
Argentine outlet Clarin also piled praise on the United star, giving him a 7/10 rating.
“In the opening minutes, he made a poor clearance, and the ball fell to an Algerian player. He was a step above Cuti, because he managed the game very well and made a couple of key tackles,” they added.
TYC Sports also gave Martinez a 7/10 rating.
They wrote: “The best defender. Always alert in marking, as well as in crosses and rotations. Lisandro is starting to show the credentials of a World Cup that’s begging to be his.”
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Lisandro Martinez’s stats vs Algeria
Clearly, Argentine media are pleased with Martinez’s performance and even described him as the best player in the defensive line.
SofaScore’s statistics from the match would agree, with Martinez rated 7.4/10 – higher than his defensive teammates, and second in the Argentina side only to Messi.
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- 90 Minutes played
- 75 touches
- 96% pass accuracy (64/67)
- 7 defensive contributions
- 2 tackles
- 4 clearances
- 100% duels won (2/2)
Martinez was dominant defensively, and even made a crucial last-man tackle in the first half.
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