Martínez’s story needs a bit of scene‑setting, because this wasn’t just any knock – it was a season‑ender that wiped out almost an entire year of his career.
The Manchester United defender tore his ACL in early February 2025 during a home defeat to Crystal Palace, leaving Old Trafford stunned as he was stretchered off and quickly ruled out for the rest of the campaign. Surgery followed and he spent around 10 months on the sidelines, grinding through rehab while United stumbled on without one of their defensive leaders.
By the time he finally made his competitive comeback at the end of November 2025, also against Palace, Martínez had missed more than 30 club games and endured what he later described as some of the darkest months of his career.
However, speaking to TyC Sports, the World Cup winner revealed that Alexis Mac Allister and Emi Martinez came to his house unannounced to support him through this time:
“It was one of the toughest situations. I needed everyone’s help; without them, it wouldn’t have been easy. You have to start from scratch again,” he said.
“Dibu [Emiliano] and Mac Allister showed up at my house to support me That shows what we are like in the national team, how we look out for each other.”
“Dibu sent me a message. He said, ‘I’m coming to your house.’ And when he arrived, he said, ‘Look, Mac Allister is coming too.’ ‘Oh well, you handle it,’ I told him. It was a really nice moment.”
With his ACL nightmare finally behind him, Martínez can now look ahead to something far more enjoyable – linking back up with Mac Allister in the Argentina camp later this month. Both are expected to be in Lionel Scaloni’s squad for the Finalissima against Spain on March 27.
On paper the game is set for Lusail Stadium in Qatar, the arena where Argentina lifted the World Cup in 2022, but even that has become a talking point in recent weeks.
UEFA and CONMEBOL have publicly acknowledged uncertainty around Qatar’s ability to host the event amid regional tensions and have delayed a final decision, with London and several other European cities quietly mentioned as potential alternatives if a late change is forced.
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