Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has hinted that he is ready to retire from international football if he is able to help Argentina win a second successive World Cup in 2026, when the tournament is played out across the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Martinez helped his country to lift their first World Cup in 36 years when they lifted the trophy at the expense of France in Qatar two years ago. Martinez was in inspired form in the final, making a huge save to deny Randal Kolo Muani and keep the scores level at the very end of extra time, before helping out in the penalty shoot-out.
Indeed Martinez has developed a reputation since for spot-kicks, helping Villa to success in the quarter finals of the Europa Conference League in Lille. He has routinely scooped internationally recognised individual awards, too, winning the prestigious Yashin Trophy two years in a row. Martinez was also voted FIFA's Best Goalkeeper in 2022 and 2024 and the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper this year, too.
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Winning successive World Cups doesn't happen often; indeed only Italy (1934 and 1938) and Brazil (1958 and 1962) have managed it previously, and neither in recent history. To that end, Martinez, who has a contract with Villa until 2029 to continue playing at club level, will mark helping Argentina winning the World Cup - should they lift it in the Americas - by signing off.
"Is there any national team that has won two World Cups in a row? If I become a two-time World Champion with the Argentine national team, I will retire. I promise you. I'm telling you today. I will retire after that World Cup," Martinez said, as quoted by Footboom. "I just turned 32; by the time the World Cup comes around, I will be 33, a young lad."
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