On the defensive end, he is good at interception and one-on-one confrontation. He is described as "fighting for high balls like a piranha". Although he does not often head the ball, he wins by predicting the landing point and interfering with FC 26 Coins the opponent's balance. On the offensive end, he dares to dribble and send threatening passes. He scored his first goal in Manchester United's career against Arsenal in January 2023, and his long-range shot against Fulham in January 2025 further highlighted his offensive participation.
Multi-position adaptability is another label. At Manchester United, he can partner with Varane in the four-back system, assist in left-leaning defense in the three-back formation, and even temporarily play as a defensive midfielder. This flexibility provides more possibilities for the coach's tactical changes.
Martinez's Manchester United career has not been smooth sailing. In April 2023, he fractured the fifth metatarsal of his right foot in the Europa League against Sevilla and was out for the season. After the match against Wolves in February 2024, the ice compress on his foot caused concern, but subsequent examinations ruled out cruciate ligament injury and no surgery was required. However, in the match against Crystal Palace in February 2025, he suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee and was confirmed to miss the rest of the 2024-25 season. The return time is expected to be more than 6 months.
Frequent injuries are not unrelated to his fighting style. It is pointed out that he only played 2,760 minutes in the first two seasons of the Premier League, with an attendance rate of less than 60%. The height limit also requires him to partner with a complementary central defender (such as Maguire) when defending in the air, otherwise the defense line is prone to expose shortcomings.
Despite repeated setbacks in his career, Martinez has won the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 League Cup. His fighting spirit has infected his teammates. Under his influence, Luke Shaw has become more positive and even took the initiative to switch to playing EA Sports FC Coins as a central defender. Brazilian teammate Anthony commented on him: "He has a typical Argentine style and gives his all on the court."
