Read for 5 minutes20 Jul 2026 09:39 PM IST
Even in the anti-football approach adopted by Argentina in World Cup Final One man kept the Spanish Armada at bay.
Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez, a key factor in their two Copa America titles and the 2022 World Cup title, was single-handedly responsible for keeping his team in the game as long as he played.
The 2022 World Cup Golden Glove winner cut a sultry figure as the Spanish celebrated their second World Cup title.
11 saves, 70 touches.
Martinez’s first figure can be really proud. Second, less.
Having the most touches after 120 minutes of football in a team with Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandes does not paint a pretty picture of the team’s performance.
Martínez is known for his performance of a lifetime in the 2022 World Cup finals, getting the better of elite strikers in the psychological battle during penalty kicks and being a showman in crucial moments. Some of his 11 saves on Sunday were routine, but Martinez’s celebrations and theatrics made every one of them stand out.
Even though Argentina lost the game, Emiliano Martinez won hearts 💖 All the great saves he made in this video ⬇️ #fifafinal pic.twitter.com/4nwecgGC1A
— Bulletin Buzz (@Bulletin_Bee) 20 July 2026
Childhood shapes the psyche
Martinez has his fair share of fans and critics in Argentina and at his club Aston Villa. He’s comfortable being the antagonist or anti-hero in a hostile stadium and drains energy. When he’s in stressful situations, Martinez’s nonchalance can catch opponents off guard.
“What people think doesn’t affect me. All their opinions can be good or bad, but I know who I am, what kind of person I am,” he said in 2025.
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During the UEFA Europa League final against Lille in 2025–26, he was whistled and booed. He was reprimanded for his gestures during and after the 2022 World Cup finals against France, which many found offensive. However, Martinez thrived on the energy that brought out the best of him.
“He thrives on boos. He’s conditioned to steel himself against people who say, ‘You can’t do it’. He goes into a mindset where negativity motivates him,” former Aston Villa goalkeeper Mark Bosnich told the New York Times.
In Mar de Plata, a seaside resort on the Atlantic coast, many people have a tendency to resist and use that energy for incredible performances, part of their upbringing.
One of his first coaches, Jorge Peta, revealed that he would intentionally miss shots, so that the attacker would have more attempts.
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“He always talked a lot. He used to play tricks as a kid. If he wasn’t challenged, he would easily put in shots so the strikers could hit more,” Peta told AP.
However, Martinez’s goalkeeping personality was not the same as he was at Arsenal in 2012 as a 20-year-old and he became the third choice goalkeeper.
Eight years on the bench, six loans and being told he wasn’t first-choice created a chip on his shoulder and a feeling of needing to impose himself.
“If you look at his career and where he’s come from, he has a tinge of insecurity, which is understandable. I can understand why people think he’s arrogant, but that insecurity is in the form of arrogance. You can’t achieve what Amy did without confidence, but I know what it is because I was accused of arrogance and he came down with confidence. A tinge of insecurity,” Bosnich told the NYT.
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Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, right, jumps for a save during the World Cup final soccer match between Spain and Argentina, Sunday, July 19, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
A backer of insolence
But if a player can’t back up the theatrics, the payback comes soon.
After moving to Villa from Arsenal, Martinez was called up to the Argentina national team in 2021 at the age of 30. He became a national hero during the Copa America that year after his tactics helped them win a penalty shootout against Colombia in the semi-finals.
The 2022 World Cup champions have won two consecutive continental titles, with Martinez’s impressive profile reliant on Argentina. Throughout the 2026 tournament, whenever the team got into trouble, it was Messi who pulled them out. But on Sunday night, when he was kept quiet by Spain, it was Martinez who ensured La Albiceleste had a chance.
At the age of 33, there is no guarantee he will return for the 2030 World Cup, but he will always be remembered as a goalkeeper who refused to shrink on the biggest stage.
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Even in defeat, Martinez made sure the spotlight didn’t get away from him.