The Argentine national team breathed a sigh of relief after eliminating Egypt in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, but not all players left happy. Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez, an undisputed figure in Lionel Scaloni’s cycle, was self-critical and worried about his level so far in the tournament.
‘After the 2-0 I saw it dark. Honestly, I felt a bit like I couldn’t help anyone. And that feeling of going home without being able to help, I never had it here in the national team. I think my moment will come,’ said the Aston Villa goalkeeper as he left the stadium in Atlanta, United States, in statements to TyC Sports.
In the match, Martínez conceded two goals: the first in the 14th minute of the first half, after a defensive lapse, and the second in the 22nd minute of the second half, which seemed to seal the series. However, he had no decisive interventions beyond cutting out crosses from the Egyptian side. ‘They scored a goal from another planet. And the first one was adjustable and saveable. There are things I need to improve to not suffer so much,’ he added.
Despite the self-criticism, the goalkeeper also showed confidence and celebrated the qualification on his social media. He shared images hugging Facundo Medina and José Manuel López, and reposted a publication by Gerónimo Rulli with the message: ‘Come on, brother. One game closer.’ He also uploaded a photo of a person taking their blood pressure, with the comment: ‘The last photo is what we all went through, right?’
Days earlier, Martínez had already responded to criticism about the team’s performance against Cape Verde. ‘In Qatar we suffered against Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia until the end, Netherlands, and France. You have to know how to suffer. Today we suffered and it’s the first time it’s happened to us in the World Cup. We know we will suffer again, that’s why we have the experience,’ he warned.
Coach Lionel Scaloni also referred to the epic victory. ‘This is a team that, no matter what is happening, never stops moving forward. In the end, football is this. Tactics and strategy are important, of course. But if you don’t have that conviction, we would have been eliminated,’ he stated in a press conference.
Scaloni maintains a favorable record in knockout matches: out of 16 games across World Cups, Copa América, and Finalissima, he has lost only one, against Brazil in 2019. ‘This is why I became a coach; to feel these emotions again. Not because I like being a coach: I suffer just like everyone else when I’m on the bench. But the emotions that a football match gives you, especially to Argentines, are unmatched,’ he concluded.
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che dibu deja de llorar flaco la seleccion es una cagada y vos un pecho frio encima egipto casi nos gana una verguenza menos autocrítica boluda y mas atajar que para eso te pagan millones los de la afa son chorros y vos un vendido aguante el pueblo no los millonarios
Para mí el Dibu es un crack pero basta de llorar che. Estos zurdos de mierda que lo critican no entienden un carajo. Bancate la presión o rajá. Messi lo necesita entero no un llorón. Yo creo que ya va a volver a ser el mejor pero que deje de autocompadecerse. Vamos Argentina carajo.