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Are Argentina finally becoming less reliant on Lionel Messi? (1:43)

Argentina's victory over Mexico will affect Lionel Messi and his teammates. It was 1:44.

1:00 PM AST

It doesn't take LisandroMartinez long to win people over. It started a debate about whether he was tall enough to play in the premier league after Manchester United lost their first two games. He was the player of the month by the end of August.

The Argentina team that was tipped to win the World Cup was left out of their first game against Saudi Arabia. He was picked to start the second game against Mexico, and after an impressive performance in a 2-0 win that has breathed new life into their campaign, he should retain his place for the crucial final group fixture against Poland on Wednesday.

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Lionel Scaloni, the coach of Argentina, has developed a reputation for keeping faith with his players, so much so that his team has been dubbed " La Scaloneta" in his honor.

For ending a 28-year wait for a major championship by lifting the Copa America in 2021, Scaloni's decisions are rarely questioned, but his form at Old Trafford prompted calls for him to be omitted from the Saudi Arabia squad. There is no question that he should stay there, even though Argentina fans were happy to accept his preference to start with Romero and Otamendi.

One of the most famous moments in Argentina's history was when he took a boot in the face of Mexico's Hirving lozano and then walked away. Argentina fans enjoy the same level of commitment as Lionel Messi.

Argentina fans want to see another change when the XI is announced for the game against Poland, with the inclusion of a player from Benfica.

Argentina took control of the game after the introduction of the 21-year-old from the bench in the 57th minute. He was involved in the move that led to Messi's goal and then found the net himself with a strike curled into the top corner to put their win beyond doubt. The expectation is that if there's a change against Poland, it will involve Fernandez, who was poor against Saudi Arabia and is struggling to recover from a muscle injury.

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Much of Argentina's success has been attributed to his ability to foster a team spirit that has been missing at other tournaments, and he was keen to give him his first international call-up in 2019. At United, he is seen as being as important off the field as he is on it.

Lisandro Martinez didn't start Argentina's first match at this World Cup, but he's quickly become indispensable. Tom Weller/picture alliance via Getty Images

The manager of Man United wanted a left-footed centre-back in the summer to give his defence more balance, but he also needed to bring order to the dressing room. According to sources, he makes a point of eating with different friendship groups within the United squad to make sure they don't get along, and he will look for players who have made a mistake or aren't playing to make sure they aren't left on their own.

Alejandro Garnacho has been credited with his development this season after being taken under his wing byMartinez. He is Garnacho's "big brother" in the dressing room and has helped the forward become more professional after he missed team meetings.

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According to sources, Martinez is the player everyone wants on their team for the small-sided games at the end of training and is angry if he doesn't win. When he flies into challenges, other players will respond with shouts of "the butcher", a reference to a nickname he picked up at Amsterdam, and often laugh about how he's managed to develop a hard-man image despite being extremely polite and reserved away from football.

Ten Hag said that he brings a South American spirit. It is both aggressive and control.

There are chants of "Argentina, Argentina" when he tackles ferociously at Old Manchester. Jamie Carragher said he was "convinced" that the young Spaniard couldn't play as a central defender in the premier league after he was taken off at half-time. Argentina went from facing a humiliating early exit to reestablishing themselves as a genuine World Cup contender after he arrived.

There was a feeling that Argentina would win it for their No.10 rather than because of Messi. If Messi bows out with the trophy in hand, he'll have a lot of help from his teammates.