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Argentine Star’s Stunning Confession: I Almost Quit Football Last Year

E28 Staff1
Lisandro Martinez

With the 2026 World Cup now less than six months away, Argentina’s World Cup-winning defender Lisandro Martinez is once again dreaming of wearing the famous Albiceleste jersey. But just a year ago, that dream almost disappeared.

In February 2025, the Manchester United center-back suffered a devastating anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his left knee. The long and painful recovery nearly pushed him into early retirement, both physically and emotionally.

β€œπ‘­π’π’“ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’‡π’Šπ’“π’”π’• π’•π’˜π’ 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 π’˜π’†π’†π’Œπ’”, 𝑰 π’…π’Šπ’…π’β€™π’• 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 π’˜π’‚π’π’• 𝒕𝒐 π’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’Œ 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍,” π‘΄π’‚π’“π’•π’Šπ’π’†π’› π’‚π’…π’Žπ’Šπ’•π’•π’†π’…. β€œπ‘° π’˜π’‚π’” π’„π’π’Žπ’‘π’π’†π’•π’†π’π’š π’ƒπ’“π’π’Œπ’†π’ π’Žπ’†π’π’•π’‚π’π’π’š. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 π’‘π’‚π’Šπ’ π’˜π’‚π’” 𝒖𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰 π’˜π’‚π’π’•π’†π’… π’˜π’‚π’” 𝒕𝒐 π’ˆπ’ π’‰π’π’Žπ’† 𝒕𝒐 π‘¨π’“π’ˆπ’†π’π’•π’Šπ’π’‚ 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆 π’˜π’Šπ’•π’‰ π’Žπ’š π’‡π’‚π’Žπ’Šπ’π’š.”

Family, Fatherhood, and a Fighting Spirit Martinez

The 27-year-old described that period as a time of β€œmourning” for the footballer he believed he had lost. But a life-changing moment soon gave him renewed purpose. Martinez became a father just one month after his injury β€” a turning point that reshaped his mindset.

β€œπ‘Ύπ’‰π’†π’ π’Žπ’š π’…π’‚π’–π’ˆπ’‰π’•π’†π’“ π’˜π’‚π’” 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏, 𝑰 π’”π’‚π’Šπ’…, β€˜π‘΅π’, 𝑰 π’˜π’Šπ’π’ 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 π’ˆπ’Šπ’—π’† 𝒖𝒑,’” 𝒉𝒆 π’”π’‚π’Šπ’…. β€œπ‘Ίπ’‰π’† π’ƒπ’†π’„π’‚π’Žπ’† π’Žπ’š π’…π’‚π’Šπ’π’š π’Žπ’π’•π’Šπ’—π’‚π’•π’Šπ’π’. π‘¬π’—π’†π’“π’š π’•π’“π’‚π’Šπ’π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’”π’†π’”π’”π’Šπ’π’, π’†π’—π’†π’“π’š 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒐𝒇 π’“π’†π’„π’π’—π’†π’“π’š, 𝑰 π’…π’Šπ’… π’Šπ’• 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓.”

Support from close friends and family helped Martinez find strength during his darkest moments. He leaned on those around him to push past the temptation to walk away from the game he loves.

After 10 months of relentless rehabilitation, Martinez finally returned to the pitch in Manchester United’s victory over Newcastle on December 26 β€” a moment he described as deeply emotional and transformative.

Today, the Argentine defender says the injury has changed him for the better, both on and off the field.

β€œπ‘° π’π’π’˜ 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆 π’†π’—π’†π’“π’šπ’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’…π’Šπ’‡π’‡π’†π’“π’†π’π’•π’π’š β€” 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’ˆπ’“π’‚π’”π’”, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’˜π’†π’‚π’•π’‰π’†π’“,” π‘΄π’‚π’“π’•π’Šπ’π’†π’› 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅. β€œπ‘·π’‰π’šπ’”π’Šπ’„π’‚π’π’π’š 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π’Žπ’†π’π’•π’‚π’π’π’š, 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 π’”π’•π’“π’π’π’ˆπ’†π’“ 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓.”

As the 48-team World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada approaches, Martinez stands on the brink of an extraordinary comeback β€” ready to chase global glory once more alongside Lionel Messi and Argentina.

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