Man Utd’s Lisandro Martinez not happy with new Real Madrid signing Kylian Mbappe’s remarks

Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez has responded to Kylian Mbappe's assertion that the Euros are tougher to win than the World Cup.

On the cusp of the Euro 2024, Real Madrid's new star signing shared his perspective on the difficulty level of the European tournament compared to the global stage. "In my opinion, it's a more challenging competition than a World Cup," claimed Mbappe.

"It's very tough starting from group stages. It's a competition we haven't won for 24 years which is huge," he continued. Martinez, who was on the bench when Argentina triumphed over France in the World Cup final in Qatar last December, has now countered Mbappe's viewpoint.

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The United centre-back, speaking to Argentinian newspaper Clarin, refuted Mbappe's comments, saying: "I leave his opinion up to him; I have a different view of things, I don't underestimate nor assume anything, all competitions are very hard to win."

The 26 year-old defender is set to represent Argentina in the upcoming Copa America, where they will be defending their title won in 2021. Argentina aim to secure their 16th Copa victory, which would see them draw level with Uruguay as the most decorated team in the history of the world's oldest international football tournament, reports the Express.

Despite concluding the season on a high note with Manchester United, playing in the FA Cup final where United beat rivals Manchester City 2-1, it was generally a challenging season for the £57million man as he had to sit out 188 days of the campaign due to foot injuries, and he has opened up about his injury-ridden spell.

Martinez added: "It wasn't a good season personally and as a team either. But one has to be prepared for when these things happen, these types of injuries. And you have to learn from them. I have to take it as an experience and be very strong physically and mentally. Today I feel excellent. I have to focus on what's happening now, in the present."

The forthcoming tournament carries a poignant note for Argentina, as it marks the swansong for Angel Di Maria in international football, following his retirement announcement last season. The ex-United star has been pivotal for Argentina, contributing significantly to their string of triumphs from the Copa America victory in 2021 through to the Finalissima and the World Cup in 2022.

Martinez has spoken out, saying that while Di Maria's impending exit is on the minds of many, it doesn't dominate the atmosphere within the squad as they gear up for the upcoming matches. The collective sentiment in the camp is one of enjoyment and unity, with everyone acknowledging Di Maria's 'legend' status without question.

"In the field, we don't talk about that at all. When you're here, you come and enjoy. We see 'Fide' (Di Maria's nickname) very happy and we stick with that," Martinez said. "There's no need to say we're going to fight for him. We try to enjoy every second with him, in training and matches, because we know what kind of legend he is."

The United star, nicknamed 'The Butcher,' also suggested that humility is key to victory in competitions like Copa America. He said: "The key to this group is its humility. We know what we've won and how important it is, but we want to keep winning. The important thing is to stay grounded; that's what makes us who we are. We go match by match knowing how important this team is."