Lisandro Martínez (born 18 January 1998) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays primarily as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester United and the Argentina national team. Nicknamed “The Butcher” for his aggressive style of play, Martínez is widely regarded for his defending, ball-playing ability, and mentality.
Lisandro Martinez began his career at Newell’s Old Boys before joining Defensa y Justicia in 2017, initially on loan. Lisandro Martinez signed for Ajax in 2019, where he made 120 appearances over three seasons and won two Eredivisie titles and one KNVB Cup. Lisandro Martinez won the Ajax Player of the Year award in the 2021–22 season.
Lisandro Martinez represented Argentina at under-20 and under-23 levels, before making his senior international debut in March 2019. Lisandro Martinez was a member of the Argentina squads that won the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 Copa América.
On 16 July 2022, it was announced that Manchester United had agreed a deal with Ajax for the signing of Lisandro Martinez for a reported transfer fee between £47 million to £49 million, plus £8.5 million in add-ons.
The transfer was officially completed on 27 July, when Martínez signed a five-year contract with the club. The next day, it was confirmed that he would wear the number six shirt last worn by Paul Pogba. On 7 August, Martínez made his club debut in a 2–1 home loss against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League. However, after performances against rivals Liverpool and Southampton, he received the Manchester United Player of the Month award for August.
On 29 September, Martínez reinjured his foot, and was sidelined for four months, returning on 14 January 2024 as a substitute in Manchester United’s 2–2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur. On 4 February, in a match against West Ham United, he was substituted in the 71st minute after a collision with West Ham defender Vladimír Coufal.
It was then confirmed that he had sustained an MCL injury, and was expected to be out for at least eight weeks.[29] He returned on 25 May in the 2024 FA Cup final against local rivals Manchester City, where United triumphed with a 2–1 victory.
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Martinez came off the bench against Australia in the round of 16, making an important block on a shot by Aziz Behich. Martinez was part of the starting XI against Netherlands in the quarter-finals and came off the bench against Croatia in the semis. In the final against title-holders France, he was an unused substitute as Argentina won 4–2 on penalties to win their third World Cup title.
On 15 June 2024, he was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2024 Copa América. Lisandro Martinez scored his first international goal, putting his team ahead in a 1–1 draw against Ecuador in the quarter-finals of the tournament, which ended with a victory in the penalty shootout.