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Team Argentina are looking to win back-to-back World Cup titles, and goalkeeper Emiliano “Emi” Martínez (he also goes by the nickname “Dibu”) is aiming to win back-to-back Golden Glove awards.
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Martínez holds the FIFA Golden Glove award as he celebrates with his wife Amanda and daughter Ava after Argentina won the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
Supporting him through it all is his wife Amanda Gama, who now goes by Mandinha Martínez. Here, what to know about Emi Martínez’s wife:
Gama is from England.
She was born in England to a Portuguese father and Brazilian mother who ran a restaurant in London. Though her name is Amanda, she also goes by “Mandinha.”
Emi and Mandinha started dating in 2013.
When Emi signed with Arsenal, he started eating at her parents’ restaurant. “My parents had a restaurant in London, which was popular with Arsenal players, and [Emi] started coming when he was 17 or 18. At that time, I was in university and would come to work at the restaurant to help my parents. So, on weekends, Emi was there,” Mandinha recounted in 2022 (translated from Spanish).
She added, “He was very shy. And so was I, a little. I knew a friend of his; I saw him several times on the street, and since he’s South American, I thought he might say hello.” Their apartments were near each other in London, but he never acknowledged her on the street. “I was walking to work and I would pass him, and I asked his friend, ‘Why does he lower his head every time he sees me?’ I thought he was arrogant,” Mandinha said.
Finally, he messaged her, writing, “I’m not arrogant, I’m just shy, but if you want, let’s go for coffee.”
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The couple in 2024.
When they started dating, Mandinha said of Emi, “He was always very sweet. He’s very handsome. I always thought he was the most handsome man in the world. But he was always so sweet to me. He’s not the type to give you expensive things. He’d give you a flower, he'd write me letters. I still have his letters.”
The couple married in 2017, and now have two children: son Santi (b. 2018) and daughter Ava (b. 2021).
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The family in 2023.
She is an interior designer.
Per her website, she launched Mandinha Martinez Interiors in 2014, and it “has steadily grown into a successful and award winning complete residential design studio.”
The about pages adds, “Mandinha Martinez is most recognised in the U.K and Europe as Amanda Martinez she gained experience initially designing practical luxury interiors for children just shy of a decade ago. What has made Amanda Martinez designs stand out from the rest is her attention to detail, her attitude towards the relationship between creating beautiful spaces and a childs [sic] development, resulting in the knock on effect with developing secure and safe environments for children. The intensive research behind designing a room to either encourage play and imagination or a restful sleep.”
Mandinha also launched the brand MiSueños Kids, a luxury children’s brand. “Our mission has always been to create dreamy, functional spaces and provide products that parents can trust,” she said during the launch of a store in Tamworth. “We sell so much online and customers love our beautifully presented wrapping service and there is not one brand in my store that I haven’t bought for my own children.”
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Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.