{"id":4892,"date":"2026-07-20T04:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T04:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892"},"modified":"2026-07-20T04:11:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T04:11:09","slug":"argentina-goalies-insane-history-making-performance-not-enough-to-claim-world-cup-crown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892","title":{"rendered":"Argentina goalie’s insane history-making performance not enough to claim World Cup crown"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

For 106 minutes, Emiliano \u201cDibu\u201d Mart\u00ednez authored the kind of World Cup final performance that goalkeepers dream about and the history books remember forever.<\/p>

Read more Fans entering MetLife Stadium stuck in \u2018total chaos\u2019 ahead of World Cup final<\/a><\/p>\n

It just didn\u2019t end with the World Cup trophy.<\/p>\n

Spain eventually broke through Argentina\u2019s resistance in extra time, escaping with a 1-0 victory after Ferran Torres buried the game-winner past Mart\u00ednez from close range.<\/p>\n

The goal crowned Spain as World Cup champions for the second time \u2014 and first since 2010 \u2014 but it also put a punctuation mark on one of the greatest individual goalkeeping displays ever seen in a final.<\/p>\n

Mart\u00ednez saved a World Cup final-record 10 shots in regulation before finishing with 11 saves in all.<\/p>\n

Time after time, as Spain kept carving open Argentina\u2019s defense, Mart\u00ednez would come up with the save to snuff out the attack. He dove full stretch in every direction, smothered point-blank chances and punched away dangerous crosses. He made impossible saves look routine throughout the match and without him, the final would have been over long before extra time.<\/p>\n

Argentina managed just two shots all afternoon, the first coming off the foot of Lionel Messi in the 117th minute. Spain dominated possession, dictated the tempo and unleashed 20 shots, wave after wave relentlessly crashing against Mart\u00ednez like the Atlantic against a Spanish cliffside.<\/p>\n

But even the strongest of walls eventually crack.<\/p>\n

In the 106th minute, Pedro Porro floated a teasing cross toward the back post where Nico Williams stretched to nod the ball back to Torres across the face of the goal. Torres, who had yet to score in the tournament, drilled home the goal that delivered Spain its second title.<\/p>\n

For Mart\u00ednez, it was the one save he couldn\u2019t make.<\/p>\n

The cruel ending felt especially harsh considering what the Aston Villa goalkeeper had endured simply to reach the final. Mart\u00ednez revealed before the match that he played the entire 2026 FIFA World Cup with a fractured ring finger on his right hand, an injury suffered during warmups before Aston Villa\u2019s Europa League match in May. Rather than undergo surgery, he delayed the procedure and fought through weeks of pain.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy hand still hurts,\u201d Mart\u00ednez admitted Friday. \u201cI knew my hand was going to be hurting. I tried to avoid going through surgery. I consulted a great deal of hand specialists in England, in the States and other countries. They told me I will have to undergo surgery. In the beginning of the World Cup I couldn\u2019t even train with the team. That really had an impact on me because I love training sessions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n
\n

World Cup Merch shop<\/h3>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"USMNT<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\nUSMNT Icon Red T-Shirt<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tBuilt for match days and everyday wear, this officially licensed USMNT tee brings classic national pride wherever you go.\t\t\t\t<\/p>

Read more Trump and FIFA prez come on the field to hand off World Cup trophy to Spain<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$29.95\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$25.49\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"Christian<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\nChristian Pulisic Navy USMNT T-Shirt<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tRep your favorite player in classic navy with this officially licensed tee made for diehard fans and big match energy.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$34.99\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"usa<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\nUSA Soccer Front\/Back Crest Pullover Hoodie<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tStay warm while repping the red, white, and blue in this officially licensed USMNT pullover hoodie featuring bold front and back crest graphics.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$54.99\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"world<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\nFIFA World Cup \u201926 Host Country Flags T-Shirt<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tCelebrate the global game in style with this FIFA World Cup 26 tee featuring all three host countries\u2019 logos and flags.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$28.00\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$23.80\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"world<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n2026 Panini FIFA World Cup Sticker Box (25 Sticker Packs)<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tRip into the excitement of World Cup season with this 2026 Panini sticker box packed with 25 packs of collectible stickers for fans and traders.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$50.00\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\"world<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n

\nadidas FIFA World Cup \u201926 Trionda Host Nation League Soccer Ball<\/span>\n<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tBring World Cup vibes to every kickaround with the official adidas FIFA World Cup \u201926 Soccer Ball built with host nation style and game-ready feel.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$45.00\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\tBuy Now\t\t\t\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Ironically, Spain goalkeeper Unai Sim\u00f3n won the Golden Glove award for the tournament\u2019s best goalkeeper and made history at the opposite end of the field without making a single save. His clean sheet was a record seventh in World Cup play, though it spoke as much to Spain\u2019s suffocating midfield and disciplined back line as it did to the goalkeeper behind them.<\/p>\n

Years from now, history will remember Spain lifting the trophy in front of a tearful Messi.<\/p>\n

It should also remember that for 106 unforgettable minutes, Mart\u00ednez nearly stole it from them with nothing but two battered hands and extraordinary resolve.<\/p>

Read more Kylie Jenner and Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet kiss for the cameras during World Cup Final 2026 date<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spain eventually broke through Argentina\u2019s resistance in extra time, escaping with a 1-0 victory after Ferran Torres buried the game-winne.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76,75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","category-world-cup-2026"],"yoast_head":"\nArgentina goalie's insane history-making performance not enough to claim World Cup crown - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Argentina goalie's insane history-making performance not enough to claim World Cup crown - Metro Transit Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Spain eventually broke through Argentina\u2019s resistance in extra time, escaping with a 1-0 victory after Ferran Torres buried the game-winne.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Metro Transit Review\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-20T04:11:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c04cbc8aa4bad7fce1a32fe163515f2.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1333\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14\"},\"headline\":\"Argentina goalie’s insane history-making performance not enough to claim World Cup crown\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-20T04:11:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892\"},\"wordCount\":787,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/a91fbf4493ef083b9a363c8c25b50e01.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Soccer\",\"World Cup 2026\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892\",\"name\":\"Argentina goalie's insane history-making performance not enough to claim World Cup crown - Metro Transit Review\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/a91fbf4493ef083b9a363c8c25b50e01.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-20T04:11:09+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/a91fbf4493ef083b9a363c8c25b50e01.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/a91fbf4493ef083b9a363c8c25b50e01.webp\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":799},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?p=4892#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Argentina goalie’s insane history-making performance not enough to claim World Cup crown\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Metro Transit Review\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/metrotransitreview.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Argentina goalie's insane history-making performance not enough to claim World Cup crown - Metro Transit Review","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Argentina goalie's insane history-making performance not enough to claim World Cup crown - Metro Transit Review","og_description":"Spain eventually broke through Argentina\u2019s resistance in extra time, escaping with a 1-0 victory after Ferran Torres buried the game-winne.","og_url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892","og_site_name":"Metro Transit Review","article_published_time":"2026-07-20T04:11:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2000,"height":1333,"url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3c04cbc8aa4bad7fce1a32fe163515f2.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14"},"headline":"Argentina goalie’s insane history-making performance not enough to claim World Cup crown","datePublished":"2026-07-20T04:11:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892"},"wordCount":787,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/a91fbf4493ef083b9a363c8c25b50e01.webp","articleSection":["Soccer","World Cup 2026"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892","url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892","name":"Argentina goalie's insane history-making performance not enough to claim World Cup crown - Metro Transit Review","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/a91fbf4493ef083b9a363c8c25b50e01.webp","datePublished":"2026-07-20T04:11:09+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/a91fbf4493ef083b9a363c8c25b50e01.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/a91fbf4493ef083b9a363c8c25b50e01.webp","width":1200,"height":799},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=4892#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Argentina goalie’s insane history-making performance not enough to claim World Cup crown"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/","name":"Metro Transit Review","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/#\/schema\/person\/7cd7bd9683106710eed62ba5da559b14","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/metrotransitreview.com"],"url":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4892"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4892\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}