Argentina defeated France on penalties in the World Cup 2022 final last Sunday to earn the third star on their shirt ahead of France. The World Cup in Qatar 2022 will be remembered primarily as Lionel Messi's World Cup, but the PSG star wasn’t Argentina's only hero – their victory owed also to Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez, the tournament's goalkeeper, who won the Golden Glove.
Martínez carried Argentina through extra time and a penalty shootout to win the country's first world championship in 36 years in the classic World Cup final.
Martínez has undoubtedly been a key player for La Albiceleste. The Aston Villa goalkeeper saved two penalties against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, and he denied Kingsley Coman in the final to give Argentina the victory.
A looping ball found Randal Kolo Muani in space atop the Argentinian box in the second minute of stoppage time after 120 minutes had already passed. This appeared to be the turning point for France, which had already rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to tie the game at three. Argentina would be finished, a tragic end to a World Cup that seemed destined to end in favor of La Albiceleste from the start.
“Nothing to thank me for,” Martínez said through both an interpreter and his tears. “It was a game we had to suffer. … It’s our destiny to suffer.”
And it seemed to be his destiny to put an end to that agony.
"We were [up] 3-2, they get another penalty. They almost scored two goals then I did that kick, that save, and this is my dream," Martínez said. "I'm speechless."
When asked about the penalty kicks, he still burst into tears.
"I was cool ... I had to rely on my teammates," he explained. "But then I did everything right."
The statistics back up Martínez's consistency in critical moments. Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni used seven different goalkeepers in his first 49 games in charge before settling on him as first choice.
Martínez has kept 17 clean sheets and conceded only 13 goals (excluding penalty shootouts) in 26 appearances for his country, including Sunday's World Cup final.
HIS BEGINNING
Martinez's difficult childhood, in which money and basic necessities were scarce, prompted his move to England at the age of 17 and may explain the tenacity that has propelled him above the slew of goalkeeping deputies who never quite make it. "I've always had to fight," he admitted.
From Oxford United in England's fourth tier in May 2012 to the best keeper on the world's biggest stage in December 2022, it's been quite the journey.
Emiliano Martínez of Argentina was an unwanted Arsenal goalkeeper who was loaned out for the better part of a decade. Then Bernd Leno's injury changed everything. On Sunday, he became the world champion.
Connect Oxford United (England's fourth division in 2011-12), Sheffield Wednesday (second division in 2013-14), Rotherham United (second division in 2014-15), Wolves (second division in 2015-16), Getafe (Spain's top division in 2017-18), and Reading (England's second division in 2018-19). It's all about the clubs Emiliano Martínez has spent the last decade on loan after joining Arsenal as a teenager in 2010.
Martínez witnessed firsthand Wenger's late-career Arsenal struggles. He was involved in a wild 12-goal thriller in which he conceded four goals in the first half before Arsenal won 7-5. Some of the defending was questionable, but Martinez did not come away unscathed.
While he has played under all three of Arsenal's then current managers (Wenger, Unai Emery, and Mikel Arteta), none of them saw Martínez as the man they wanted behind the goal.
So, until June 2020, Martínez's most memorable appearance in an Arsenal shirt would be the 12-goal thriller against Reading in 2012. An injury to Bernd Leno, a signing by Emery in 2018, changed everything for Martínez. The German suffered a serious injury in one of the first games back after the pandemic. With the transfer window closed, Arteta had no choice but to approach the Argentine.
Martínez joined fellow Premier League club Aston Villa in a deal worth up to £20 million on September 16, 2020. He agreed to a four-year contract. Martínez made his Villa debut on September 21, saving a penalty from John Lundstram in a 1-0 home win over Sheffield United. Martínez was named Aston Villa Supporters' Player of the Season.
Martínez signed a three-year contract extension with Villa on January 21, 2022, keeping him with the club until the end of the 2026-27 season. On July 27, ahead of the new season, Martínez was named one of the two Aston Villa vice-captains, alongside Diego Carlos.
INTERNATIONAL CAREER
Martínez didn't make his senior international debut until June 2021, following an outstanding season for Aston Villa, but his legend grew quickly.
Martínez was called up to Argentina's senior squad in June 2011 to replace Oscar Ustari against Nigeria. He received his second senior call-up on October 9 and 13, 2019, against Germany and Ecuador, respectively. He was an unused substitute in both friendly matches.
Martínez made his international debut on June 3, 2021, in a 1-1 draw with Chile in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match.
On June 14, he made his competitive debut in a major tournament for the second time, drawing 1-1 with the same opponent in his team's opening match of the 2021 Copa América at the Estádio Olmpico Nilton Santos in Brazil.
Martínez saved three penalty kicks in Argentina's 3-2 penalty shootout win over Colombia in the tournament's semi-final on July 6.
He went on to finish the tournament with a clean sheet in the final, a 1-0 victory over Brazil. Martínez was also awarded the 2021 Copa América's Golden Glove award as the best keeper of the tournament for his performances.
On June 1, 2022, Martínez kept a clean sheet as Argentina won 3-0 against reigning European Champions Italy at Wembley Stadium in the 2022 Finalissima.
AWAY FROM FOOTBALL
Martínez's been dubbed "Dibu" (Spanish for "Drawing") after an animated character in the Argentine telenovela Mi familia es un dibujo. He was given the nickname as a young player at Club Atlético Independiente during the height of the series' popularity. In 2018, Martínez signed a sponsorship agreement with Puma.
Since 2017, Martínez has been married to Amanda "Mandinha" (née Gama). The couple has a son named Santi and a daughter named Ava.
Martínez has achieved success in the business world in addition to his achievements on the field. The 30-year-old now has his own playable NFT character in MetaSoccer, a football metaverse where video gamers can manage their own club and earn cryptocurrency based on the performance of their players.
Meanwhile, the ex-Arsenal goalkeeper is the face of Argentina's largest fast-food chain, Mostaza. He has even introduced his own hamburger, the “Mega Dibu,” at the restaurant.
Martínez has also written a children's book called Dibu Martínez, Pasión por el Futbol (Dibu Martínez, Passion for Football), in which he discusses his career, how he fell in love with the sport, and the hard work that led to his success. The book was published in October.
