Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has completed his first full training session with both gloves after recovering from a finger injury, boosting the defending champions ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign.
Injury and Recovery
The Aston Villa star fractured a bone in the ring finger of his right hand on May 20 during the warm-up before Villa's Europa League final victory over Freiburg. Initially, Martinez trained with a splint and only one glove while recovering, according to ESPN. He returned to full training on Thursday and is expected to start in Argentina's World Cup opener against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City, having missed warm-up victories against Honduras and Iceland.
Martinez's Form and Achievements
The 33-year-old goalkeeper enjoyed a strong season with Aston Villa, who finished fourth in the Premier League, and was named in the Europa League Team of the Season. A 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina, Martinez was voted the tournament's best goalkeeper and also claimed the Golden Glove as he helped his team lift the 2024 Copa America.
Defender Replacement
Meanwhile, defender Marcos Senesi has been roped in as a replacement for injured Leonardo Balerdi ahead of their World Cup campaign, announced the Argentine Football Association (AFA) on Thursday. Balerdi's calf injury led to him being dropped from the defending champions' 26-man-strong roster for the marquee event, as per Reuters. Senesi, 29, had a long stint with Premier League side Bournemouth from 2022-26 and will now be joining Tottenham Hotspur. He has also made three appearances for Argentina so far. Senesi was crucial in Bournemouth's sixth-place finish in the recently concluded Premier League, which helped them achieve UEFA Europa League qualification for the first time in history, marking their first taste of European football competition.
Group Stage and Squad
Argentina open their World Cup campaign against Algeria on June 16 before facing Austria and Jordan in Group J. The full Argentina squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 includes goalkeepers Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa), Geronimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille), and Juan Musso (Atletico de Madrid); defenders Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atletico de Madrid), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Nicolas Otamendi (SL Benfica), Marcos Senesi (Tottenham Hotspur), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille), and Nicolas Tagliafico (Olympique Lyonnais); midfielders Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), and Valentin Barco (RC Strasbourg); and forwards Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Paz (Como 1907), and Thiago Almada (Atletico de Madrid).
