Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has revealed he has been in pain “every day” at the World Cup after fracturing his ring finger in May – and that he avoided surgery to play for Argentina, despite every specialist urging him to go under the knife.
The injury happened on May 20 during his warm-up before Villa’s 3-0 Europa League final triumph over Freiburg in Istanbul. Martinez strapped the finger to play, but was then ruled out for up to a month, missing the final-day Premier League win at Manchester City and Argentina’s warm-up matches against Honduras and Iceland.
“Aston Villa's Emi Martinez reveals he fractured his finger before the World Cup and avoided surgery to play for Argentina.”
“My hand still hurts every day; I knew it was going to be extremely painful,” the 33-year-old said. “I avoided surgery, even though all the specialists I consulted in the United States and England told me I needed to have it. I couldn’t train during the group stage, but from the Round of 16 onwards after Egypt, I stopped thinking about it, and I feel much better.”
Martinez’s determination stems partly from a message Argentina’s coach sent him before the tournament: “No matter what state you’re in, I want you on my team. To me, that means more than saving ten penalties or making the front page of the newspaper. And if my moment doesn’t come but we win the final, it will mean just as much.”
The goalkeeper, who is also the subject of transfer interest from Juventus, now has his focus on Sunday’s final in New Jersey against Spain – a chance to add a fourth star above Argentina’s crest. Asked about a joke he made years ago that he would retire after winning two World Cups, Martinez insisted it was only humour. “But first we have to win; that’s the only thing I’m focused on.”
“We’ve been improving year after year with this team. Sometimes I tear up just thinking about what we’ve achieved. There are still moments of joy and celebration ahead,” he added. “I’m enjoying this World Cup much more than the last one. I suffered a lot after the Saudi Arabia match in Qatar. I didn’t face many shots, yet I conceded goals. I only played a decisive role during the penalty shootouts. I think I’m playing better with my feet now. I’ll step onto the pitch on Sunday, and you’ll see me smiling. I feel very calm.”
After over four weeks of action, 48 teams have been whittled down to two. For Martinez, the pain is worth it – and he plans to smile through it.