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Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez hinted that his international career could be coming to an end after delivering an emotional apology following Argentina’s heartbreaking 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.The 33-year-old, one of the architects of Argentina’s triumph at the 2022 World Cup, admitted he is considering his future with the national team after agonizingly failing to defend their title.In an emotional post on Instagram, Martinez apologized to Argentina fans and suggested it may be “time to retire” after another forgettable World Cup campaign.“I dreamed that we would win it again. I dreamed of bringing it back to Argentina and making history one more time,” Martinez wrote.“It’s true that the pain is hard to explain. There are many things to think about and how to move forward, and if it’s time to retire. I’m very sorry, I really did my best to help my country and my teammates,” he added.The message immediately sparked speculation that one of Argentina’s modern-day greats could be preparing to retire from international football.
A heroic display was not enough as Spain finally broke through
When Sunday’s final proved to be Martinez’s farewell to the World Cup stage, it was one of the best performances of his career.Despite playing with a broken finger — an injury he’s carried since May after postponing surgery to represent Argentina — the Aston Villa goalkeeper produced a record-breaking performance of 11 saves, the most by a goalkeeper in a World Cup finals.Nicknamed “Dibu”, Martinez repeatedly frustrated Spain as he denied Nic Williams, Rodrigo De Paul and teenage sensation Lamine Yamal with a string of spectacular saves that kept Argentina alive for more than 100 minutes.READ ALSO: No apologies: Argentina’s Leandro Paredes breaks his silence after the chaos in the World Cup final against SpainSpain coach Luis de la Fuente was among those who were impressed with the Argentine goalkeeper.“We should have put the game to bed much earlier. We had many chances. But Dibu was nothing short of exceptional. It was thanks to Dibu’s saves, which shows that winning is very difficult,” said Luis de la Fuente after the final.However, Martinez’s resistance was finally broken in the 106th minute when Ferran Torres struck for the winner after Argentina were reduced to 10 men following Enzo Fernandez’s second yellow card late in normal time.
A brilliant tournament overshadowed by Argentina’s collapse
Martinez appeared in every minute of Argentina’s eight games during the tournament, keeping two clean sheets and conceding eight goals.His performances once again highlighted why he won the Golden Glove during Argentina’s successful 2022 World Cup campaign and later won the Yashin Trophy as the world’s best goalkeeper in both 2023 and 2024.The defeat ended Argentina’s hopes of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the World Cup.With 67 international caps, a World Cup winner’s medal and countless iconic saves — including his legendary performance against France in the 2022 final — Martinez has firmly secured his place among Argentina’s best goalkeepers.
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