Emiliano Martinez auctioned off the gloves he used in last winter’s World Cup final to collect nearly $45,000 [£37,000] for children battling cancer.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper from Argentina was instrumental in La Albiceleste’s victory over France, delivering a critical last-second stop to deny Kolo Muani.
In a tight shootout, he went on to block Kingsley Coman’s penalty while employing a number of psychological tricks to try and undermine the confidence of the opposition.
And it succeeded – after a strong performance in Qatar, Martinez was crowned the Golden Glove winner and his team won the World Cup.
After auctioning off his World Cup final gloves, Martinez has raised thousands of dollars for the oncology unit at the Garrahan Hospital in Buenos Aires three months after the competition.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper gave the following reasons for selling the gloves at auction: “When they gave me the option to donate the World Cup gloves, I didn’t hesitate. it’s a good cause for the boys.”
When he announced the donation in February, he also autographed the interior of the gloves.
Martinez continued: “The World Cup finals are not played every day, [the gloves] are special. But it helps a child much more than me having them hanging in a frame in my house.”
On Instagram, the Argentine Pediatric Foundation wrote: “$45,000 for the Dibu gloves to help the Garrahan boys!”
“I told him to get up and to look forward,” Martinez told TyC Sports, “[that] he shouldn’t be on the floor, but proud of the game he had played, which is the truth.”
“He scored four goals on me. The one who should be on the floor is me.”
Emiliano Martinez
Damián Emiliano Martinez (born 2 September 1992) is an Argentine professional football goalkeeper who competes for both the Argentina national team and Premier League club Aston Villa.
Martinez received his early training with Independiente before transferring to the Premier League’s Arsenal in 2010.
He started out with Arsenal as a backup, was loaned out to several teams, until making his debut in the Premier League and helping the team win the FA Cup and FA Community Shield in 2019.
Martinez made a £20 million deal to rival Premier League team Aston Villa in September 2020.
He maintained a club record 15 Premier League clean sheets throughout his first season with the team.
Martinez had competed for Argentina in youth international competition. He also competed in under-17 and under-20 levels.
In 2021, he received his first senior cap for the Argentine team, helping his country win the Copa América, taking home the Golden Glove award, and maintaining a spotless record in the championship game.
Martinez went on to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and for his efforts in the competition, he also took home the Golden Glove Award for best goalkeeper of the FIFA World Cup.
He was crowned The Best FIFA Goalkeeper in 2022 as a result of these accomplishments.
