‘I Was Considering Retirement’ — Lisandro Martínez Reveals the Moment That Saved His Career, Hails Messi as Greatest Ever

• Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez has described Lionel Messi as the greatest athlete in history while revealing that the birth of his daughter gave him the strength to overcome thoughts of retiring from football following a devastating ACL injury.

Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez has paid an emotional tribute to captain Lionel Messi, describing the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as the greatest athlete in sporting history while opening up about the personal battle that almost brought his football career to an early end.

Speaking to ESPN, the Manchester United centre-back praised Messi’s resilience, saying the Argentina captain continues to inspire teammates with his relentless desire to compete despite achieving virtually everything the sport has to offer.

According to Martínez, Messi’s journey is proof that greatness is built on perseverance rather than talent alone.

“Leo Messi is a massive example because he has suffered a lot throughout his entire career, he has suffered losses and he never gave up,” Martínez said.

The defender noted that, even at the age of 39, Messi remains fully committed to fighting for success despite already winning every major trophy available in football.

“Today he is here at 39 years old, fighting, battling, he has already won everything, he has absolutely nothing left to prove,” he added.

Martínez went even further in his praise, insisting that Messi’s influence extends beyond football and places him among the greatest athletes the world has ever seen.

“He is the best player in history, not just in football, but in all of sports. It’s madness.”

He also explained that Messi’s passion continues to motivate the next generation of Argentine players.

“And for those of us coming up behind him, how can we not keep fighting if the best of all time does it with this kind of passion? We have to follow behind him in the exact same way.”

Martínez also reflected on one of the darkest periods of his career, revealing that he seriously considered retiring from football after suffering a devastating anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last year.

The defender admitted the lengthy rehabilitation process took a significant emotional toll on him.

“I was considering RETIREMENT from football after I suffered ACL injury last year.”

“I just didn’t want to suffer anymore, you know?” he confessed.

However, Martínez revealed that the birth of his daughter completely changed his outlook on life and gave him renewed determination to continue his career.

“I was really hit low, but then my daughter was born, and that kind of balanced everything out for me.”

Watching his wife give birth became a turning point that inspired him to keep pushing through the difficult moments.

“I saw how my wife gave birth and the immense effort she made, and I said to myself: How am I not going to keep fighting?”

Now back on the pitch, Martínez says both his family and Messi’s example continue to fuel his determination as he looks to achieve more success for club and country.