Martínez played World Cup with unbearable pain from broken finger

Martínez played through the World Cup with a broken finger to avoid missing the tournament, enduring severe pain and swelling despite a custom Adidas glove.

Emiliano Martínez broke his finger during Aston Villa's Europa League final but chose not to undergo surgery, knowing it would rule him out of Argentina's World Cup campaign in North America. The decision came at a significant cost: throughout the tournament, Martínez experienced intense pain and swelling, describing himself as playing "like a zombie" and crying every evening from the discomfort. Although Adidas created a specially reinforced goalkeeper's glove with extra protection, the injury remained debilitating whenever he dove or made saves.

Martínez believes his finger will never fully recover. "If I had had surgery, my finger would be normal, but then I would have missed the World Cup. I would do it again," he said in a podcast with Gastón Edul. The long-term consequences extended beyond the tournament: after the World Cup, an X-ray revealed the finger had broken again, which ultimately cost him a transfer to Juventus.