- Dibu’s heroics rescued Argentina during the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa América™ Quarterfinals against Ecuador.
- The goalkeeper has never lost a penalty shootout while in goal for Argentina
The scene was set for Emiliano Martinez to be the hero for Argentina again, and the man from Mar del Plata delivered. He always does.
Argentina had just surrendered their first goal of the tournament. Ecuador equalized in stoppage time to stun La Albiceleste and force a penalty shootout to determine who would advance to the semifinal. The first player to step up? Lionel Messi, who had only ever missed one penalty at CONMEBOL Copa América™, which was back in 2016 during the final against Chile. However Argentina’s captain would miss again, and all the momentum swung into the Ecuadorian’s favor.
That was until Dibu saved two consecutive penalties to turn the tide back to Argentina. The goalkeeper dove brilliantly to deny Angel Mena and then with one hand, blocked Alan Minda’s shot while Julian Alvarez and Alexis Mac Allister buried their penalties for Argentina. From there, momentum was back on the defending champions side. Gonzalo Montiel and Nicolas Otamendi made their penalties and Argentina secured their spot in the Semifinals, a large part due to Martinez’s performance in goal.
La Albiceleste has never lost a penalty shootout with Dibu in goal. He’s now won two at CONMEBOL Copa América™ with Argentina (Ecuador 2024 and Colombia 2021) and two at the FIFA World Cup (Netherlands and France in 2022). In penalty situations with his country in regular time, Martinez has faced 24 shots. Twelve have gone in while he’s saved nine of them, two hit the post and one completely missed. This adds up to Dibu’s opponents having a shockingly low 50% conversion percentage when facing him in shootouts with Argentina.
As the celebrations went on in Houston at NRG Stadium as Argentina cheered their return to the Semifinal, the man from Mar del Plata was at the center of it all. Just like at the 2021 edition and the 2022 Fifa World Cup, that's where he always is.
