Stretty News
·29 July 2026
Stretty News
·29 July 2026
Lisandro Martinez arranged private security at his home after the backlash from Argentina’s controversial World Cup semi-final win over England, with Sun journalist Samuel Luckhurst reporting that the Manchester United defender and Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister both took precautionary steps amid rising tensions.
Luckhurst says security staff were on patrol at both players’ homes for two days after England’s 2-1 semi-final defeat, with feelings running especially high because of the political angle of what followed the final whistle. United had no role in organising the arrangement for Martinez’s house, and there were no attempts to vandalise either property.
The match itself was a remarkable one. England went ahead through Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute before seeming to sit deep and invite Lionel Messi and his teammates forward — a move they were made to pay for when Messi set up two goals in the 85th and 90+2 minutes to complete a stunning Argentina comeback.
What made the bigger headlines, however, was the incident after the final whistle. Several Argentina players — Martinez among them — held up a banner reading ‘The Falklands are Argentina’s,’ a gesture that brought expected and strong criticism from the English media and supporters.
The act also came against the wider backdrop of scrutiny over Argentina’s behaviour throughout the tournament. Martinez and his fellow countrymen had already been criticised for their use of so-called dark arts tactics, a style that carried them deep into the competition before Spain eventually proved too strong in the final.
Martinez has turned into something of a cult figure at United since his 2022 move from Ajax, and that standing is unlikely to be damaged by the banner controversy.
Lisandro Martinez in action for Manchester United.
As per the main report, Martinez is currently away on holiday and is due back at United for pre-season training. The security arrangements underline the charged atmosphere that followed the semi-final, and the fact that there were no vandalism attempts at either property will have been a relief to everyone involved.
