According to Marca, Emiliano Martinez committed an obscene act while standing in front of Kylian Mbappe in the 2022 World Cup final.
In Netflix’s documentary “Captains of the World”, viewers discover a controversial situation that quickly spreads on social networks. The situation shows that when Mbappe bent down to pick up the ball before taking the penalty kick, Martinez came closer and made a movement with his pelvis at the level of the French player’s face.
“The image shows Martinez’s obscene gesture towards Mbappe,” Marca newspaper wrote.
The Spanish newspaper also said that the newly discovered situation reminded of another obscene gesture by Martinez after the final: placing the Golden Glove – the award for the best goalkeeper in the tournament – in his crotch. The Argentine goalkeeper was criticized by a part of the audience for his rude and unprofessional actions in front of officials and leaders of football management agencies. Meanwhile, Martinez explained that it was just a playful moment with no intention of offending anyone.
The 2022 World Cup final was a night of ups and downs for Mbappe. The French striker scored a hat-trick, but could not win his second world championship. After a 3-3 draw in 120 minutes, Argentina won 4-2 in the penalty shootout.
Martinez made a big contribution to Argentina’s victory when he blocked Kolo Muani’s face-off shot in the 120+3 minute. During the penalty shootout, he continued to block Kingsley Coman’s shot and put pressure on Aurelien Tchouameni to shoot out. After his success at the World Cup, Martinez won the FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year award and the Yashin Trophy from France Football magazine.
Martinez still plays for Aston Villa after the World Cup. Aston Villa is becoming a phenomenon when ranked second in the 2023-2024 Premier League, with 42 points after 20 matches, only three points behind Liverpool. If they maintain their performance in the remaining period, they will attend the Champions League next season.