Emi Martinez Mulls Argentina Retirement
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Emi Martinez says he is considering whether it is "time to step aside" from international football after Argentina's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final.
- The 33-year-old Martinez has won 67 caps for Argentina and played every minute of all eight World Cup games, keeping two clean sheets and conceding eight goals.
- Martinez was a 2022 World Cup winner and claimed the golden glove award as the tournament's outstanding goalkeeper.
- Martinez won the Yashin Trophy for world's best goalkeeper at the Ballon d'Or awards in both 2023 and 2024.
- Aston Villa's Martinez has been linked to a summer move to Italian side Juventus, despite his Villa contract running until 2029.
- Martinez wrote on Instagram: "I dreamt we'd win it again... The truth is, the pain is hard to explain," and apologized to his country and team-mates.
Why it matters: Argentina stands to lose a 2022 World Cup winner and two-time Yashin Trophy recipient who played every minute of the tournament, while a concurrent Juventus transfer link points to a possible club-level pivot beyond the international stage.
