Paulo Dybala barely saw the field at Qatar 2022, but that didn’t prevent him from playing a key role in Argentina‘s success. The AS Roma star had just two minutes of action in the final against France, but his goal in the penaltyshootout helped his side win the FIFA World Cup.
Previously, Dybala was an unused substitute for much of the campaign, as he had to wait until the semifinals against Croatia to come on. Even so, when the team called his number, he stepped up.
His patience paid off, as Dybalareceived ahero’s welcome in his hometown of Laguna Larga in Cordoba. In front of thousands of people, the former Juventus star explained how goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez helped him score his penalty.
Paulo Dybala reveals Dibu Martinez’s key advice for the penalty shootout
“When I came on, I knew it was for penalties,” Dybala said. “So I had to keep my head as coolas possible.I had planned to shoot to the corner, but Dibu told me that after their missI should shoot in the middle because the goalkeeper always dived. I was planning to shoot to the corner where Lloris dived, but luckily I listened to Dibu.”
Dybala took charge of Argentina’s second penaltyin the series, and he had to take it after Dibu saved Kingsley Coman‘s shot. Dybala shot to the middle, Lloris dived to his left, and Argentina were leading 2-1. Eventually, his team won the series 4-2, sparking jubilant scenes across the country.