Martinez reportedly did not make a save during the match. Algeria’s attacks produced pressure without a decisive effort on target, leaving Argentina’s goalkeeper to deal mainly with routine handling and clearances.
For a player whose reputation was built on penalty shootouts and high-pressure interventions, that quiet workload offers little evidence either way. It confirms Argentina were comfortable, but it does not answer how Martinez will respond when their defensive structure is stretched.
The report also raised questions over a fractured finger before the game. His limited involvement means the issue was not tested in a demanding contest, so the next serious examination may come against a side with greater pace and variety in attack.
Messi’s hat-trick reportedly settled the contest and reinforced the familiar formula: Argentina’s captain decides matches in the final third while teammates cover the running around him.
That approach remains powerful, but it places a premium on the midfield and defence surviving difficult spells. The report identifies vulnerabilities around Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez and the wider defensive unit, while also noting uneven club form for several midfielders.
Those concerns are less visible when Argentina control possession and territory. They become far more important when opponents win second balls, attack the spaces behind the full-backs or force Martinez into repeated decisions.
A quiet opening can help a goalkeeper regain rhythm, particularly if there were pre-match doubts about his fitness. It cannot replicate the pressure of a knockout tie or a penalty shootout.
Argentina’s next major storyline will be whether Messi’s attacking brilliance continues to keep matches away from danger-or whether Martinez is finally required to produce the save that defines a World Cup campaign.