Argentina’s title defence has been built on a familiar foundation. The Emiliano Martínez stats at the World Cup 2026 show the Aston Villa goalkeeper has started all seven games, kept two clean sheets and made the saves that carried the holders to the final. Here is the story of the man they call Dibu. For the bigger picture, see our World Cup 2026 hub.
Emiliano Martínez stats at a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Position | Goalkeeper |
| Club | Aston Villa |
| Age | 33 |
| Nationality | Argentina |
| Major honours | World Cup 2022, Copa América 2021 & 2024 |
Who is Emiliano Martínez?
Emiliano Martínez — universally known as Dibu, a childhood nickname taken from an Argentine cartoon character — is the goalkeeper for Aston Villa and Argentina. Born in September 1992, the 33-year-old came through at Arsenal before a series of loans, then joined Aston Villa in 2020, where he established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He was the hero of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph, saving penalties in the quarter-final shootout against the Netherlands and the final against France to win the tournament’s Golden Glove as best goalkeeper. He has also won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, and the 2026 Europa League with Villa.
Emiliano Martínez at the World Cup 2026
Dibu has been an ever-present between the posts, starting all seven of Argentina’s games. Here is how his tournament has unfolded.
- Argentina 3-0 Algeria (group stage, June 17): Kept a clean sheet in a comfortable opening win.
- Argentina 2-0 Austria (group stage, June 22): A second successive shutout, with one save, as Argentina made it two wins from two.
- Jordan 1-3 Argentina (group stage, June 28): Beaten once but untroubled as Argentina eased to a 3-1 away win.
- Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde (Round of 32, July 3): Went the full 120 minutes and made three saves as Argentina edged through after extra time.
- Argentina 3-2 Egypt (Round of 16, July 7): On the receiving end early but kept his side in it as Argentina came from behind to win.
- Argentina 3-1 Switzerland (quarter-final, July 12): His busiest night — four saves across 120 minutes as Argentina advanced after extra time.
- England 1-2 Argentina (semi-final, July 15): Beaten only once as Argentina came from behind to reach the final.
Two clean sheets and nine saves across seven starts tell the story of a keeper who keeps delivering when Argentina need him, chasing back-to-back titles under Lionel Scaloni behind the likes of Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernández and Alexis Mac Allister. For more, see the World Cup 2026 final predictions and the World Cup 2026 hub.
Argentina’s last line
Calm with the ball, commanding in his box and ice-cold in a shootout, Dibu Martínez is the platform on which Argentina’s defence of the trophy has been built — and he will be central to it again in the final.
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Emiliano Dibu Martínez is the goalkeeper for Aston Villa and Argentina, a 2022 World Cup winner and Golden Glove holder.
Two – against Algeria and Austria in the group stage – across his seven starts.
It is a childhood nickname taken from a character in an Argentine cartoon, and it has stuck throughout his career.
The 2022 World Cup, where he took the Golden Glove, the 2021 and 2024 Copa América, and the 2026 Europa League with Aston Villa.
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