Emiliano Martinez, the goalie for Argentina and Aston Villa, spoke with a media outlet about Lionel Messi’s Copa America address and his crucial save in the World Cup final.
After his World Cup triumphs in Qatar, it is simple to forget that Lionel Messi hadn’t won a significant international prize with the national team in 15 years.
The Albiceleste won Group A of the 2021 Copa America before defeating Ecuador and Colombia in the knockout rounds, the latter on penalties thanks to the assistance of their goalie.
Martinez said that the moment Messi gave his now-famous speech rallying his Argentina players as they prepared to face the hosts Brazil and with his image on the line moved him to his core.
“It really touched me. I really felt like I wanted to cry because he mentioned my daughter. My wife gave birth 10 days before the (Copa America) final, so Messi said something about ‘he hasn’t even seen his newborn daughter to stay here with us’, so make sure we do it for him. Messi saying that… it gives you goosebumps. It was a really nice start to that day for me.”
Argentina won its first big trophy in 18 years and, perhaps more significantly, Messi’s first of his career with a goal in the first half. Of course, the most coveted award of them all—the 2022 World Cup—wouldn’t require the Rosario youngster to wait nearly as long.
But if Martinez hadn’t stepped in, everything might have turned out very differently.
After a thrilling game in which France, led by Kylian Mbappe, twice overcame deficits to tie the score at 3-3, the home team had an opportunity to win it in the 123rd minute.
“I put a little bit of pressure. You see my left arm and my left leg goes to the near-post because I was praying, thinking that the ball would go there. I didn’t move my face, I closed my eyes and I thought ‘please hit me’ and it did. I never turned my face. If it hit me on my nose you know, make sure it doesn’t go in. It will be probably the best save of my football career.”
