Who is Emiliano Martínez, the FIFA Golden Glove Award winner?

Emiliano Martínez is the maestro goalkeeper who led Argentina to victory over France in the 2022 World Cup final following a penalty shootout. The Argentine's journey has been quite long, and getting to the top of the game has not been easy. He mainly struggled in his early professional career while playing football in England's lower divisions.

Martínez is a professional goalkeeper for the Argentina national team and the Premier League club Aston Villa. Emiliano received his first senior cap with the Argentina team in 2021.

Profile summary

How old is Emiliano Martínez?

Martínez (aged 30 as of 2022) was born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on 2 September 1992. The goalkeeper began his career as a member of the Independiente youth team before being traded to Arsenal shortly after turning 17 and initially being given a youth contract.

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Career

Martínez association with Arsenal dates back to a trial period in the summer of 2009. His trial at London Colney was accompanied by renowned goalkeeping coach Miguel Angel Santoro, who gave Emiliano's name to Arsenal.

His lightning-fast reflexes and an uncanny capacity for game reading became immediately clear. Martínez, who stood at 6'3" even as a teenager, had a commanding physical presence.

Martínez's performance greatly impressed Arsene Wenger, and the club reached an agreement for him to relocate permanently to England. He officially joined Arsenal in 2010 at the age of 17 after leaving the Argentine club Independiente, and he played for Arsenal youth until 2012.

Martínez got his first taste of top-flight football on May 5 2012, when Oxford drafted him in on an emergency loan. He made his Arsenal debut on September 26 in a 6-1 League Cup third-round victory at home over Coventry City.

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He made his Champions League debut in August 2014, assisting Arsenal in a 2-1 group-stage win over Anderlecht. Then, on November 22, he made his Premier League debut by coming on to replace the injured Szczęsny against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.

Martínez was subsequently loaned out to various teams between 2013 and 2019 as a result of the intense competition for his position at the Emirates. He was loaned to Getafe, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rotherham United, and Sheffield Wednesday.

Rising to become Arsenal's top pick

On June 20, 2020, during Arsenal's loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, Bernd Leno was substituted due to injury, and Martínez made his first Premier League appearance since the 2016–17 campaign. Due to this, he finished the season as the team's first-choice keeper and received high praise for a string of outstanding performances. Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright referred to Martínez as "commanding" and said that he played "brilliantly" for the duration of his extended stint in the team.

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Martínez was chosen to start the FA Cup Final matchup against Chelsea on August 1. He went on to make some crucial saves and helped Arsenal win the FA Cup for the 14th time.

After Bernd Leno's return, which would remove him from being the first goalkeeper for the Gunners, the Argentine said he either wanted to stay at the club and be the first-choice keeper or leave on a permanent basis. Martínez eventually signed a four-year, up to $20 million contract with his current team, Aston Villa on September 16, 2020, and later extended it for an additional year.

How long has Martínez played for Argentina?

On June 3, 2021, Martínez made his debut for his country against Chile in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier that ended in a 1-1 draw. He won the Copa América's Golden Glove award as the best keeper in 2021 for his outstanding saves because he was so reliable during the competition. At Wembley Stadium on June 1, 2022, he again kept a clean sheet as Argentina defeated Italy 3-0 in the 2022 Finalissima.

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Martínez also played in each of his team's matches while representing Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He stopped two penalties in a shootout against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals and helped his team advance to the semifinals.

In the final, Martínez stopped a shot from Randal Kolo Muani in a 1-on-1 situation in the final second of extra time to send the game to penalties. He later helped Argentina win the tournament with a 4-2 shootout victory after the game had ended in a 3-3 draw following extra time by saving a penalty from Kingsley Coman. Due to his efforts during the competition, he was awarded the Golden Glove trophy.

Martínez's golden glove celebration

After winning the Golden Glove Award at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Awards Ceremony, Martínez stirred up controversy when he emphatically waved the trophy in the air while holding it up to his groin and pointing at the audience. It caused a stir, inspired memes, and some media outlets claimed he made a lewd gesture.

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He allegedly made a similar gesture when he received the golden glove after Argentina won the 2021 Copa América. Martínez responded by saying that he had made this gesture in Qatar as a result of French fans jeering him.

Did Emiliano Martínez win the World Cup for Messi?

The Argentine was, without a doubt, the 2022 Qatar's best shot blocker. Martínez said he would sacrifice his life to see Messi win the World Cup after the victory.

"I want to give him life, and I want to die for him. I want to give Lionel Messi a World Cup. I wish I could have played with Leo on the club level as well; it would have made me a better goalkeeper and helped him win more trophies."

Emiliano Martínez's salary

The 30-year-old (2022) is thought to be making a basic salary of about $120,504 per week, making him one of Villa's highest-paid players. He recently signed a new 5-year contract that runs until 2027.

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However, following Emiliano Martínez's heroics for Argentina at the World Cup, Aston Villa is preparing for interest in him from Europe's elite. If offers are made, the club will be in a very strong negotiating position thanks to his contract, which represents a significant pay raise over the original four-year contract he signed when he joined Villa from Arsenal in September 2020.

Emiliano Martínez's family

His wife is called Amanda "Mandinha", and they have been married since 2017. The couple's children are Santi, a son, and Ava, a daughter.

Emiliano Martínez has been a player on the roster of Arsenal for a very long time. His big break, though, came about 28 years after he won the FA Cup. His national team has been the source of his greatest success.

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