Controversy and heroism go hand in hand with Emiliano Martinez. Just as he came to the discussion by standing with his chest in the tiebreaker and stopping the goal, he also got involved in a conflict with the opponent player and made headlines. That Martinez came back into the discussion for negative reasons.
He was banned for two matches by FIFA's Disciplinary Committee for offensive behavior and breach of FIFA Fair Play policy. Due to this, Martinez will miss the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Venezuela on October 11 and Bolivia on October 16.
It is known that Martinez had to face punishment due to two separate incidents. The World Cup-winning Argentina goalkeeper's first disciplinary incident occurred in a World Cup qualifier against Chile on September 6.
That day, Martinez made an indecent celebration gesture with the Copa America replica trophy. He did a similar celebration after winning the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. However, FIFA has found evidence that Martinez violated the code of conduct at this year's event, which resulted in the ban.
Martinez's second incident of indiscipline occurred on September 11 against Colombia. After losing the match that day, he pushed the equipment of the camera operator. Johnny Jackson, the operator, later told Colombian media that he had been "assaulted" by Martinez and that he was "very angry" about the incident.
Meanwhile, the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) spoke about Martinez's ban. They said the players and the association presented their side before FIFA's punishment was confirmed. "It should be noted that the Argentine Football Association strongly disagrees with the decision taken by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee," AFA said in a statement.
Argentina is currently on top of the 2026 World Cup qualifying points list. They are on top with 18 points in 8 matches with 6 wins and 2 losses. Second-placed Colombia has 16 points in the tie. Argentina's arch-rival Brazil is at number 5 on the points list. Their points are 10 in 8 matches. 6 teams from the qualifiers will get direct tickets to the World Cup.
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