Panama were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup after a 1-0 loss to Croatia, but City of Kiryat Shmona midfielder Cristian Martínez still received unusual recognition overnight, between Tuesday and Wednesday, as the official Man of the Match. The award came despite Panama finishing their tournament run.
Martínez played the full 90 minutes and was prominent in midfield. He completed 22 of 31 passes, made three interceptions, and won four of seven ground duels, standing out throughout the match even in defeat.
His performance drew strong praise across Central American media. Futbol Centroamérica wrote that Martínez was so good he made people forget about injured players, calling him the clear winner of Panama’s midfield. ESPN Centroamérica also described his display as a “world-class” performance.
Journalist Gian Franco Zelia said Martínez is attracting growing interest in Europe and suggested he could be headed for a major move after the World Cup. Spanish reporter Jonay Amaro called him one of the tournament’s leading midfielders, saying he kept running nonstop, neutralized Joško Gvardiol and held up well against Ivan Perišić, adding that he is “one of the best defensive midfielders in the World Cup.” Martínez is one of three Israeli Premier League representatives at the tournament, alongside Kenji Gora of Maccabi Haifa and Helio Varela of Maccabi Tel Aviv.