Lisandro Martinez maintained his outstanding World Cup form when keeping a second successive clean sheet against Austria on Monday.
Manchester United’s No.6 played the full 180 minutes of their opening two group-stage matches, during which Argentina oversaw a 3-0 win over Algeria and a 2-0 win over Austria.
Remarkably, but perhaps unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is responsible for all six goals the reigning world champions have scored thus far.
They’re next in action against Jordan on Sunday, in what will be a 3am kick-off for those of us tuning in from the United Kingdom or Ireland.
Otro paso adelante 🇦🇷💙
La peleamos juntos y nos llevamos una victoria enorme.
VAMOS ARGENTINA! pic.twitter.com/imrlaP9IPE
— Lisandro Martinez (@LisandrMartinez) June 22, 2026
How Lisandro Martinez fared vs Austria
Last time out, Martinez recorded a whopping seven clearances in total, four of which were headed.
He made three recoveries and won one tackle, three aerial duels and one ground duel. The 28-year-old earned an 8/10 rating from Argentine outlet TyC Sports – second only to their heroic talisman Messi.
They said of the fan-favourite Red: “The best defender and one of the best on the team.”
It goes without saying that Michael Carrick will be crossing his fingers and hoping that Martinez not only continues such form into the new season, but also that he can stay fit for the duration of the tournament and upon his return to Carrington.
Lisandro Martinez is like a quarterback 🏈@ManUtd 🔴 pic.twitter.com/J3rPKVLiwM
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 5, 2026
Why United will be sweating over Martinez’s involvement
United stars that are taking part in the tournament will report for pre-season at some point in July after having time to rest and recuperate.
Martinez is undoubtedly one representative that the club will be anxiously watching play, given his unrelenting injury record since signing from Ajax in 2022.
In his four years at Old Trafford, the centre-half has been limited to only 65 Premier League starts, and has also missed 65 through injury or fitness problems.
| Appearances | Starts | Injured | Minutes played |
| 76 | 65 | 65 | 5,750 |
Martinez’s complete PL record (Transfermarkt)
He has yet to see out a full campaign without sustaining at least one issue, which will be playing on INEOS’ mind as he approaches the end of his contract in 2027.
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