FIFA World Cup 2022: Emiliano Martinez stands in way of French encore in Qatar

Argentina had multiple heroes at the Lusail Stadium in Doha on Sunday night, none bigger of course than Lionel Messi whose long-held dream of winning the World Cup finally came to fruition in his fifth attempt.

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When each Argentine player reminisces about their third World Cup title to their grandchildren years down the line, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez will have every reason to proudly bask in the glow of an incredible night in the Arabian desert.

Even before his heroics in the penalty shootout, saving Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni’s spot-kicks to help Argentina clinch a 4-2 win on penalties, he made the save of his life in the dying seconds of extra time.

With the clock completing 90 minutes of normal time and 30 minutes of extra time, it was the third minute of added time when Randal Kolo Muani broke away and found himself in a one-on-one situation with the Aston Villa goalkeeper.

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It seemed certain to be the last kick of the game and a goal would have crushed Argentina’s hopes of a comeback, but Martinez kept the South Americans in the fray, spreading his legs and ensuring that the target was out of sight.

Martinez has done this time and again over the course of the last month in Qatar. Remember his heroics in the penalty shootout victory over Netherlands in the quarter-finals? On that night too, he made two saves in the shootout. Or his save in the final minutes of the Round of 16 win over Australia, when he similarly spread himself and stretched out his left hand to keep the ball away from the net?

Until three years ago, not many would have predicted that Martinez will become an indispensable part of the Argentine set-up. He went to the 2018 World Cup in Russia as a fan. Having received his maiden senior call-up as a 19-year-old in 2011, he had to wait eight years for another call-up. From 2012 to 2020, he made sporadic appearances for Arsenal, largely spending his time on loan at nondescript clubs. But a move to Aston Villa in September 2020 has helped turn it around for him, becoming the first-choice goalie at the West Midlands club with a string of consistent performances. And now, he’s a World Cup winner with Argentina.