The match between Venezuela and Argentina, hosted at the Monumental Stadium in Maturin, sees both teams in good form and currently sitting in the qualification zone for the 2026 World Cup. Despite the excitement, Argentina will be without one of their stars, Emiliano Martinez, due to a disciplinary ruling.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper was excluded from Argentina’s October squad following a two-match suspension handed down by FIFA. This decision stems from two incidents during the September international break.
The first offense occurred after Argentina’s victory over Chile at the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires on September 5, when Martinez made what FIFA deemed “offensive gestures” while celebrating with the 2024 Copa America trophy.
The second incident took place five days later in Barranquilla, Colombia. After Argentina’s 2-1 loss to the hosts, Emiliano was involved in a confrontation with a cameraman, which FIFA classified as a “violation of fair play.”
Martinez’s reaction
Following the suspension, Martinez took to social media to address the ruling, saying: “It was never my intention to disrespect anyone. I didn’t realize that a gesture celebrated by the fans would be seen as offensive. Moving forward, I’ll focus on not offending anyone and concentrate on winning titles with Argentina and Aston Villa.” He added: “Celebrations are meant to bring joy, not disrespect. It pains me to miss out on this FIFA date, but I’ll be supporting my teammates from afar.”
Who will replace Martinez?
With Emiliano Martínez sidelined, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni now faces a pivotal decision regarding who will step in between the posts for the matches against Venezuela and Bolivia. In previous absences, River Plate’s Franco Armani had been the go-to choice, but the veteran goalkeeper retired from international duty following the 2024 Copa America.
This leaves Scaloni with three options from his current squad: PSV Eindhoven’s Walter Benitez, Atletico Madrid’s Juan Musso, and Olympique Marseille’s Geronimo Rulli. While Scaloni has yet to make an official announcement, reports suggest that Rulli is the frontrunner to start in Martinez’s absence.