Martinez plays cool in net, even as teammates turn reckless in final

Emiliano Martinez was cool as could be in goal, even as impatience and frustration brewed among his fiery Argentine teammates. Playing with a broken finger, he broke a World Cup final record for saves. The star goalkeeper just couldn’t hold up after Argentina’s unyielding, ruthless aggression steered La Albiceleste into a red card and left them a man down in extra time.

Spain’s Ferran Torres smashed the ball past Martinez for his first goal of the World Cup to make it 1-0 in the 106th minute, enough on Sunday to send the team past Lionel Messi and Argentina for its first title since 2010. Martinez, the World Cup-winning keeper from 2022, again used his imposing 6-foot-5 frame to stand tall with a record 11 saves and kept Argentina’s bid for a second straight World Cup title alive.

His teammates spent much of the match chasing Spain around the pitch. And while Argentina’s pugnacious style served it well rallying from deficits throughout this tournament, it backfired Sunday.

The first sign of trouble came when Leandro Paredes nearly earned two yellow cards on one play. Officials missed him shoving Rodri in the back in the 52nd minute, but he was carded for pushing down Dani Olmo during the testy confrontation that followed.

Enzo Fernandez’s frustration proved more costly. He got a first yellow card for dissent arguing a possible foul call in the 82nd minute. He was sent off with another yellow 11 minutes later for a reckless play that sent Spain defender Pau Cubarsi cartwheeling into the air.

With even less help in front of him, Martinez finally failed to fend off the onslaught.

Spain kept attacking, kept shooting and broke through with a goal that sparked a wild celebration in the stands with fans dancing and hugging and waving the flag ahead of the eventual coronation.

Things were briefly chippy between the teams post-match, and Paredes was at the center, at various points shoving Eric Garcia and Gavi. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni was held back by a Spain player while appearing to shout at someone, and Nicolas Otamendi exchanged words with several Spanish players, including Rodri.

‘Dibu’ kept Argentina alive with an all-time performance: Nicknamed “Dibu” because of his resemblance to an Argentine animated character, Martinez became a national hero for his stunning save to deny Randal Kolo Muani a late goal in the final against France at Qatar 2022. Even with an injured hand, Martinez may have played better in this year’s tournament.

“We should have put the game to bed much earlier. We had many chances,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said. “But Dibu was nothing short of exceptional. It was thanks to Dibu’s saves, and this goes to show that winning is very difficult.”

Consider his stop in the 92nd minute that could have shifted some momentum toward Argentina.

He made a two-handed save of La Roja’s Nico Williams’ line drive in second-half stoppage time from near the top of the box that kept the game scoreless.

Fernandez was sent off one minute later.

Martinez starred on Sunday much as he did in 2022.

After a series of corner kicks for Spain, Rodrigo De Paul got a header on net, only to be denied by Martinez in the 67th minute.

On his 10th save of the game, he denied Lamine Yamal on a free kick in extra time that left the teenager covering his mouth in astonishment that he missed.

Martinez broke a finger on his right hand in May during a Europe League game with Aston Villa. He said he delayed surgery so that he could be in net — surely a decision Argentina appreciated.

Martinez started every World Cup game and had two clean sheets in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria and a 2-0 win over Austria in group stage games.

While Messi received the bulk of the credit, Martinez carried Argentina all the way to Spain’s 20th shot of the game and the brink of a second straight World Cup title.