Amid an injury-plagued road to the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi and Argentina may finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief, as starting goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martinez is reportedly expected to start in La Albiceleste’s tournament opener.
According to Argentine journalist Gaston Edul of ESPN, Martinez underwent medical exams that yielded positive results and can finally put on the goalkeeping gloves without pain. Lionel Scaloni and his staff will gradually ramp up his workload, as he had been training at a lower intensity, but his status as the starter is considered a guarantee—at least for the opener against Algeria on June 16.
If he cannot complete the game, shows discomfort, or struggles, then Argentina could make an emergency switch in goal. Considering just how crucial Martinez’s role was in helping Messi win the 2022 World Cup and two Copa America titles, it’s safe to say the netminder operates with quite a margin for error.
What happened to Martinez?
During warmups ahead of the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League Final, Martinez sustained a fracture to the ring finger on his right hand. “Dibu” is known for his personality and for rising to the occasion in the biggest moments. Thus, it is no mystery that he played in the championship match regardless of the injury. Nothing was going to keep him out of the biggest game of his club career.
Emiliano Martinez of Argentina.
The same logic applies to the 2026 World Cup. Messi and everybody on Argentina’s squad know it will take a lot more than a fractured ring finger to sideline Martinez, and there is little doubt within the camp in Kansas City that the 33-year-old goalkeeper will be good to go when the reigning world champions kick off their title defense against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium.
Martinez’s numbers in 2022 World Cup
Although Messi and Argentina put on several performances for the ages during the 2022 World Cup, they often failed to close out games, and it frequently came down to Martinez making a seemingly impossible save to keep La Albiceleste’s dream alive in Qatar.
The most obvious example was Martinez’s acrobatic stop with his right leg in a one-on-one showdown against Kolo Muani in the 123rd minute of the final. Martinez would go on to stop Kingsley Coman’s attempt in the penalty shootout and put Aurelien Tchouaméni under enough pressure for the precise midfielder to miss the goal entirely.
Messi drew all the attention, but in the biggest moments it was Martinez who stole the spotlight and helped secure the country’s third World Cup title. As the tournament came to an end, Martinez had allowed just eight goals and recorded three clean sheets. He also stopped three penalties across two different shootouts (against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals and France in the final).
Argentina need Martinez
Needless to say, if Argentina want to go back-to-back in 2026, they will need “Dibu” to stay red-hot on the World Cup stage. For the time being, Messi and the rest of the team may have little to worry about.
SurveyIf Emiliano Martinez isn't healthy enough to play, who should be Argentina's goalkeeper?
If Emiliano Martinez isn't healthy enough to play, who should be Argentina's goalkeeper?
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