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Manchester United centre-back Lisandro Martinez endured a disappointing end to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as Argentina fell 1-0 to Spain after extra time in the final. The defender’s night ended prematurely when he sustained an injury before half-time.

La Albiceleste had reached the final following a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over England in the semi-final. Lionel Scaloni’s men were trailing until the 85th minute, when Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez, both assisted by Lionel Messi, turned the game around to keep their dream alive.

For the final against La Roja, Scaloni made three changes to his starting eleven. Gonzalo Montiel came in for Nahuel Molina at right-back, while Rodrigo De Paul replaced Leandro Paredes in midfield. In attack, Nicolas Gonzalez was chosen ahead of Giuliano Simeone. Lisandro Martinez, who had featured for 72 minutes in the semi-final, kept his place in the line-up and made his first World Cup final appearance.

Spain began the match on the front foot, showing more energy in the opening exchanges, though they were unable to breach Argentina’s disciplined defence. The defending champions had a few chances of their own, but the first half remained evenly contested.

Martinez’s involvement ended in the 44th minute when he suffered an injury, forcing him to make way for Nicolas Otamendi. The teams went into the break locked at 0-0.

After the interval, La Roja increased their tempo and pressed Argentina deep into their own half. La Albiceleste’s troubles deepened when Cristian Romero picked up an injury and was replaced by Facundo Medina in the 70th minute.

The situation worsened late on as Enzo Fernandez was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. Argentina managed to hold firm to take the match into extra time, but Ferran Torres struck in the 106th minute to hand Spain a historic win.

Up until his injury, Martinez had an uneven performance. The Argentine defender had been excellent in the early stages of the tournament but struggled to find his rhythm in the semi-final against England.

Nicknamed ‘The Butcher’, the 28-year-old had a nervous start to the final and found it difficult to impose himself. During his 44 minutes on the pitch, he recorded 31 touches and completed 29 passes with a 76% success rate.

He contested five duels and won two of them, lost possession seven times, and conceded one foul. Defensively, he made two clearances and one interception, won a single foul, and was dribbled past twice. Martinez received a yellow card in the 41st minute before leaving the field injured shortly afterward.

According to Sofascore, Martinez had seemingly overcome his previous fitness concerns during the tournament, starting seven of Argentina’s eight matches. However, this latest setback has raised fresh worries. Manchester United supporters will be hoping his injury is not serious, allowing him to return in time for the start of the upcoming club season.