Everything to make the World Cup: Martínez's finger will never be normal again

Martínez chose not to have surgery on a broken finger before the World Cup, accepting permanent damage to play in the tournament.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez broke his finger before the Europa League final but refused surgery to avoid missing the World Cup with Argentina. During the tournament in Canada, the United States and Mexico, he played through severe pain despite Adidas creating a custom goalkeeper glove with extra protection.

"I played with a piece of plastic," Martínez said in a podcast with Gastón Edul. "Every night I cried because my finger was so swollen. When I dived and got up, I saw stars." He 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."

The injury had lasting consequences: after the tournament, an X-ray revealed the finger had broken again, costing Martínez a transfer to Juventus.