Manchester United Defender Lisandro Martínez has finally opened up about the worst period of his career following his return to the Argentina national team, ending a 598-day wait due to persistent injuries.
The centre-back featured for 63 minutes in Argentina's 2-0 win over Honduras in a World Cup warm-up match at the weekend. It was his first appearance for the national team since October 2024 and another important step in a recovery process that tested him physically and mentally.
argentine newspaper bugle Looking back on Martínez's journey, the Manchester United player admitted that there were moments when he questioned whether he would ever play football again.
Injury nightmare and the road back
Before this weekend, Martínez's last Argentina appearance came in a 6-0 win over Bolivia in October 2024. He was then dropped from subsequent teams after a serious knee injury.
in february 2025The defender ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Manchester United. This was another major blow as previous injury problems had already hampered his progress.
The time was emotional. A month after the injury, Martínez welcomed her first daughter, Aurora. He returned to action eight months later, but another muscle problem slowed his pace again.
speaking first afa studyArgentina's official streaming platform, Martínez revealed how difficult the rehabilitation period had been.
“You have to reinvent yourself because you start from scratch in every sense, physically, mentally and personally.” he explained.
"You feel like you're not a football player. You feel pain and think you'll never be able to play football again."
The defender admitted that there came a time when he did not want to continue playing.
"After the first two or three weeks, to be honest, I didn't want to play football anymore. What happened with my foot, then the knee injury, and I thought: 'That's it, I don't want to know anything else.'"
world cup inspiration
Despite those struggles, Martínez relied heavily on family and friends to get him through the recovery process. That support ultimately helped him return in time to compete for a spot on Argentina's World Cup squad.
After the win over Honduras he posted a simple message on social media: "It was all worth it."
Lisandro Martínez also said this TYC Sports After the match he further insisted that Argentina's mentality would remain unchanged ahead of the tournament.
"We understand that every match is a final," He said. "You can see it in the results and the desire of every player who comes in. This team is willing to give everything."
The Manchester United defender also sent his support to teammate Leonardo Balerdi, who will miss the World Cup due to injury.
However, the story is very different for Martinez. After nearly 600 days away from Argentina duty, he is back on the field, back in the team and preparing for football's biggest tournament.
This alone represents a major victory after everything he has endured.
