Dibu Martínez reveals he played in the 2026 World Cup 'with one hand'

Argentina's star goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez has revealed a significant personal sacrifice during the 2026 World Cup: he played the entire tournament with a fractured finger on his right hand. The injury occurred just days before the competition began, forcing him to make a difficult decision.

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It still hurts every day, I knew it was going to hurt, I avoided the operation, all the hand specialists I consulted told me I had to have surgery. The group stage affected me, but nowadays I don't think about it, since Egypt, honestly I feel much better.

Martínez consulted multiple hand specialists, all of whom advised immediate surgery. However, with Argentina on the cusp of potentially becoming back-to-back world champions, a feat not seen since 1962, he opted to forgo the operation to remain with his team. He admitted the pain was constant and uncomfortable, especially during the group stages.

"It still hurts every day, I knew it was going to hurt, I avoided the operation," Martínez stated. "All the hand specialists I consulted told me I had to have surgery. The group stage affected me, but nowadays I don't think about it, since Egypt, honestly I feel much better."

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When you are told that winning a final means missing the group stage for a broken finger, your head fills with questions, two days before the start I threw myself in with one hand, I looked like a cripple.

Despite the physical challenge, Martínez has maintained a supportive role, a contrast to his more prominent presence in the 2022 World Cup. He expressed contentment with not being the main protagonist, emphasizing his desire to provide calm for his teammates during matches. "I never want to be the protagonist role," he added. "I think in the Copa América it happened to me once, but now, England attacked us a lot and we moved forward with the pressure. I never seek to be a protagonist."

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It doesn't affect me at all, I never want to be the protagonist role, I think in the Copa América it happened to me once, but now, England attacked us a lot and we moved forward with the pressure. I never seek to be a protagonist.