Lisandro Martinez was spotted in floods of tears after being forced off the pitch during the World Cup final against Spain with an injury. The 28-year-old Manchester United defender started the final alongside Tottenham's Cristian Romero but had to be replaced by former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi in the 44th minute, just before half-time.
Martinez had been booked for a late foul on Mikel Oyarzabal moments earlier, stopping a Spanish counter attack. He was consoled by Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez before making his way off, and was seen crying with his head in his hands on the bench. Spain dominated the first half with 65% possession and three shots, two on target, but the score remained 0-0 at the interval.
“Man Utd's Lisandro Martinez injured in World Cup final; Senne Lammens error costs Belgium as Spain beat both.”
Meanwhile, another United player, goalkeeper Senne Lammens, had suffered his own World Cup agony earlier in the tournament. The 24-year-old, signed from Royal Antwerp for £18.1m, had been back-up to Thibaut Courtois throughout the tournament until the veteran was injured 19 minutes from the end of the quarter-final against Spain. Lammens had barely touched the ball before he spilled Pau Cubarsi's shot, allowing Arsenal's Mikel Merino to steer home and give Spain a 2-1 victory. Lammens was distraught at the final whistle.
United team-mate Tom Heaton spoke to Lammens after the defeat. "It was obviously a challenging moment for him, but that's the life of a goalkeeper," said Heaton after United's pre-season defeat by Wrexham in Helsinki. "As soon as you put the gloves on and go between the sticks, you have to be ready to deal with that. He'll be stronger for it. I think his personality is fantastic for a goalkeeper, so no issues there."
Despite the criticism Lammens received in Belgium, at United confidence in the youngster remains strong. Karl Darlow, 35, was signed as back-up on 14 July. Heaton, 40, signed a one-year deal but hasn't made a competitive senior appearance since February 2023. Lammens is now on a three-week break and should return for the friendly against Paris St-Germain on 8 August. Heaton added: "I highly doubt Senne will be going into it with fear or worrying about what may happen."
Both players now face the challenge of bouncing back from World Cup heartbreak, with United's pre-season continuing.