Israeli League Midfielder Named Man of the Match Despite Panama Exit

Christian Martinez, who has played for Ironi Kiryat Shmona for the past two years, was unusually named FIFA's Man of the Match after Panama's 1-0 loss to Croatia at the 2026 World Cup. The defeat ended Panama's hopes of reaching the next stage, but Martinez still stood out in a full 90-minute shift for the losing side.

Martinez started the match and was active throughout, completing 22 of 31 passes, making three tackles, and winning four of seven ground duels. He had already played 63 minutes in Panama's opening 1-0 defeat to Ghana, and his performance against Croatia drew strong praise from Spanish media.

Spanish journalist Jonay Amaro said Martinez kept running relentlessly and had effectively erased Joško Gvardiol and even Ivan Perišić, adding that he is "one of the best defensive midfielders in the World Cup." The Futbol Centroamérica account said Martinez was so good he made people forget about injured players, calling him Panama's standout in midfield.

Gian Franco Zelia went further, saying the Kiryat Shmona midfielder has already been linked with major European clubs and may be heading for "a big move" after the tournament. Martinez is expected to hope for another start in Panama's final group game against England before turning his attention to his future, with a transfer away from Kiryat Shmona now looking close.