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Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez will feature in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after Argentina sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory over England in the semi-final on Wednesday, 15 July.

Martinez entered the clash in fine form, having started five of Argentina’s six matches before the semi-final. He had earlier provided an assist for Lionel Messi’s goal and scored himself in the hard-fought 3-2 victory over Cabo Verde in the Round of 32.

The defender retained his spot in the starting lineup for the 3-2 win against Egypt in the Round of 16 and the 3-1 triumph over Switzerland in the quarter-finals. That result set up a highly anticipated semi-final encounter against arch-rivals England — the first time Messi had faced the Three Lions in his career.

Argentina’s head coach Lionel Scaloni made only one alteration from the side that defeated Switzerland, bringing in Giuliano Simeone for Rodrigo De Paul. As expected, Martinez continued his role in central defence, maintaining his solid partnership with Cristian Romero.

The first half saw both teams evenly matched, with neither side willing to concede ground. However, England took the lead in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon.

As has been their pattern throughout the tournament, Argentina raised their intensity after conceding. Scaloni introduced more attacking options, and the sustained pressure eventually paid off in the closing stages of the game.

In the 85th minute, Messi picked out Enzo Fernandez unmarked, and the Chelsea midfielder unleashed a thunderous strike to equalise. Moments later, in the second minute of stoppage time, Messi delivered a precise through ball to Lautaro Martinez — who had replaced Nicolas Tagliafico in the 81st minute — and the Inter Milan forward slotted home the winner, sparking wild celebrations among fans worldwide.

England pushed hard for an equaliser in the dying moments, but Argentina’s defence held firm to clinch the victory and a place in the final.

Martinez had a quieter outing compared to his previous performances and struggled to influence proceedings. He contested four duels, winning only one, and lost possession twice.

The Argentine, nicknamed ‘The Butcher’, recorded 46 touches and completed 41 passes with a 98% success rate. However, he failed to deliver any key passes, crosses, or long balls during the match.

He made four clearances and was beaten once on the dribble. Unlike earlier games where he contributed in attack, Martinez couldn’t make an impact in the final third against England.

The United defender finished the match without any shots or dribbles and was booked with a yellow card before being substituted in the 73rd minute for Nicolas Otamendi.

According to Sofascore, Martinez’s performance statistics reflected a disciplined but subdued showing.

Martinez’s progression to the World Cup final will undoubtedly please Manchester United supporters, who will hope he returns with the trophy. The Argentine remains an integral part of the Red Devils’ setup, and his experience on the world stage is expected to benefit the Premier League side as well.

(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)