Emiliano Martínez

Martínez was born in Mar del Plata. An administrative delay at the registry office led to him being registered as Damián Emiliano rather than his intended name, Emiliano Damián. The second name honored his late grandfather. He has gone by Emi throughout his career.

His long-standing nickname is Dibu. Goalkeeper coach Miguel Ángel Santoro gave him the moniker during his youth days at Independiente, noting a resemblance to the cartoon character from the Argentine telenovela Mi familia es un dibujo. The name followed him to England and the national team.

Martínez married Amanda "Mandinha" Gama in May 2017. The couple have a son named Santi and a daughter named Ava. Following Argentina's 2022 World Cup victory, more than 150,000 fans gathered at Las Toscas resort in Mar del Plata to celebrate his return home.

Arsenal signed Martínez from Independiente's youth setup in 2010 after a successful trial. First-team opportunities were scarce. To gain regular match action, he completed emergency loans and temporary stints across English football. He spent time with Oxford United, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Reading, along with a loan spell in Spain at Getafe.

His breakthrough arrived in June 2020. An injury to Bernd Leno thrust Martínez into the starting role for the remainder of the season. He started the 2020 FA Cup final against Chelsea, making several saves in a 2-1 victory. He broke down in tears on the pitch after lifting the trophy. Weeks later, he helped Arsenal win the 2020 FA Community Shield in a shootout against Liverpool before seeking a permanent starting role elsewhere.

Aston Villa purchased Martínez in September 2020 for a fee rising to £20 million. He made an immediate impression. On his debut, he saved a penalty from John Lundstram in a 1-0 win against Sheffield United. He matched Brad Friedel's club record by keeping 15 clean sheets in his debut Premier League campaign and won the club's Supporters' Player of the Season award.

He remained the first-choice goalkeeper at Villa Park. In April 2023, he set a new club record by recording 34 clean sheets in his first 100 Premier League matches. In the 2023-24 Europa Conference League quarter-finals, he blocked two penalties in a shootout against Lille to send Villa to the semi-finals. He ended his Villa tenure starting in goal as the club defeated SC Freiburg 3-0 in the 2026 UEFA Europa League final.

Martínez made his senior debut for Argentina in June 2021 against Chile. He quickly became the country's starting goalkeeper. In the 2021 Copa América semi-final, he stopped three Colombian penalty kicks while speaking directly to opposing shooters to disrupt their concentration. Argentina defeated Brazil 1-0 in the final, earning Martínez the tournament Golden Glove.

At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, he saved two penalties in the quarter-final shootout against the Netherlands. In the final against France, his late spread save on Kolo Muani forced penalties. He then stopped Kingsley Coman's kick to help seal the title. In penalty shootouts, opponents convert roughly half their spot kicks against him, compared to the global average of over 70 percent. He won another Copa América title and Golden Glove in 2024.

Chelsea signed Martínez on 30 August 2026 for a reported fee of £7.5 million. He signed a three-year deal. He made his debut that same day, playing 90 minutes in a 4-3 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.