Why Emi Martinez Missed Out on FIFPRO XI but Won Best Goalkeeper Award

• Emiliano Martinez wins the best goalkeeper prize at the recently held FIFA Best Awards
• However, Real Madrid's safest pair of hands, Thibaut Courtois, makes the FIFPRO XI
• The 2022 FIFA Best Awards ceremony was held in Paris, France, on Monday, February 27, 2023

Emiliano Martinez crowned a successful 2022 when he was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper at the FIFA The Best Awards in Paris.

The Argentine goalkeeper, who won the Golden Glove prize at the 2022 World Cup, finished in front of Morocco and Sevilla's Yassine Bounou and Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid and Belgium.

Affectionately called Dibu, Martinez was an inspirational figure for La Albiceleste on their way to a third World Cup, pulling off an impressive last-gasp point-blank save to deny France's Kolo Muani from scoring the winning goal in the epic final.

The 30-year-old has also consistently impressed for club side Aston Villa over the past 18 months and has cemented his status as one of the Premier League’s pre-eminent goalkeepers.

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After claiming his prize in Paris, Martinez said via BBC: "My family supported me in this, Aston Villa and a lot of people in the Argentina side. It's been a dream throughout my life to play for the national side.

"People ask me what goalkeeper did you dream of as a child? I saw my mother cleaning buildings for eight hours a day, I saw my father working so hard - they are my idols."

Despite his heroics at the Mundial, Martinez missed out on the FIFPRO XI. Sports Brief takes a look at why the man mountain of a goalkeeper was snubbed for a position he's considered to be the best.

What happened?

Argentina's World Cup-winning keeper was crowned The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper 2022 ahead of Thibaut Courtois.

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However, he was overlooked for the position of goalkeeper in the Best XI for the year under review.

Why was Martinez overlooked?

The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper is voted for by coaches and captains of national teams as well as journalists and fans.

It is worth noting that each of the above voters counted for 25 per cent of the total vote, irrespective of the number of voters from each group, per FIFA.

The Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper award was presented to the individual with the most points whilst FIFPro members i.e., professional footballers, vote for the FIFPRO XI.

Hence, in the eyes of professional footballers, Thibaut Courtois is the best goalkeeper in the year under review while the combination of fans, journalists, coaches and captains believe Emi Martinez is the best in his position.

Is this first of it's kind?

In 2020, Manuel Neuer was voted the Best Men’s goalkeeper however, Liverpool and Brazil's Alisson Becker made the FIFPRO XI.