7 clearances, 1 key pass: United star sends clear message to INEOS with standout World Cup display

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez put in another solid shift in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. La Albiceleste locked horns with Das Team at the Dallas Stadium for their second game of this summer’s mega event. Lionel Scaloni’s side arrived at the tie in buoyant mood, having secured a 3-0 win over Algeria in the previous game courtesy of a Lionel Messi hat-trick. Martinez started that match and was flawless at the back, continuing his recent impressive run with the Red Devils. The Butcher was heavily involved as the English giants secured third place in the Premier League last season. The Argentine’s aggression and ability to unleash defence-splitting passes has endeared him to United fans and made him a key figure for Argentina as well. Martinez retained his place in the starting XI for Monday’s tie, partnering Cristian Romero at the heart of the backline. The Spurs defender has also been linked with a move to Old Trafford recently, but it was his fellow defender who stole the show in Texas. The Lionel Messi show Argentina took the lead in the 38th minute through another splendid Messi goal. The diminutive magician had missed a penalty in the ninth minute, but soon made up for his error with a superb strike. Austria did threaten to get back into the game, but the reigning World Cup champions dealt with everything thrown at them, with Martinez marshalling his defence well. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner then put the game beyond doubt by scoring his second of the night in the fifth minute of second half injury time. Argentina went on to secure all three points and put one foot in the knockouts, while keeping a clean sheet for the second game in a row. Central to their defensive masterclass was another assured performance from the Butcher. United man remains indispensable for Argentina Martinez registered 83 touches of the ball, and made 72 passes with a 94% passing accuracy. Only Enzo Fernandez had touched the ball on more occasions than the United man, who registered the most passes on the night for Argentina. The Butcher also managed one key pass, a long ball from deep to Nico Gonzalez which split open the Austria defence. The 28 year old won four of his six duels, coming out on top in three of his four aerial duels. Martinez, though, lost possession five times, while only two of his attempted six long balls reached their targets. However, the United man was solid at the back, registering seven clearances and one tackle. He was not dribbled past once during the entire 90 minutes. MetricValue Defensive Actions8 Clearances7 Blocked Shots0 Interceptions0 Tackles (won)1 Dribbled Past0 Touches83 Accurate Passes68/72 Pass %94% Key Passes1 Crosses (accurate)- Long Balls (accurate)6 (2) Duels (won)6 (4) Ground Duels (won)2 (1) Aerial Duels (won)4 (3) Possession Lost5 Fouls1 Source: Sofascore. Final Thoughts From being an unused substitute in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final to becoming undroppable for club and country at the moment, Martinez has come a long way in his career. The Argentine is showing once again why he remains crucial to United’s plans, and with his contract due to expire next summer, INEOS will have to make a key decision on his future soon. Featured image by Michael Steele/Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.