"I'm not the only one. Most of us who have played in a World Cup have the butterflies in their stomach, a feeling that is difficult to explain, but I'm more excited about this one than the previous one. Winning individual titles or titles with my club is like the icing on the cake, but the real highlight of my entire career has always been playing for the Argentina national team."
"When I play for the national team, I feel like the ball just won't go in, I have the whole country and my family behind me. I have a privileged physique, I can play every two days. You're going to play 60 matches as if there wasn't a World Cup at the end of the season, because otherwise it's difficult to perform at 100%."
Emiliano Martínez is already fired up for the 2026 World Cup and says he feels more excited than before. Argentina will enter the expanded tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada as defending champions. Martínez made crucial saves in Argentina's 2022 shootout wins over the Netherlands and France and produced five saves in the 2024 Copa América final against Colombia. Martínez is Argentina's undisputed No. 1 and cites national pride and family support as key motivators. He has kept four clean sheets in 11 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa this season and believes his physique allows him to withstand a demanding schedule to arrive ready for the tournament.
Read at ESPN.com
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