For a goalkeeper, the hands are his greatest weapon.

They are the tools that can change the course of a match in a fraction of a second. So when one of those fingers is broken, every save becomes a battle.

Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martinez fought that battle.

He chose to play through extreme pain rather than undergo surgery that would have jeopardised his chance to represent Argentina at the 2026 World Cup. Months later, he says the finger will never return to normal. Yet he has no regrets.

It Started Before the Europa League Final

The injury happened in May 2026.

Martinez broke his right-hand finger during the warm-up before Aston Villa’s Europa League final against Freiburg. He initially did not realise the full extent of the damage.

After undergoing scans, however, the seriousness of the injury became clear.

Suddenly, the biggest question was whether he would be able to play at the World Cup.

Martinez later revealed that seeing the X-ray left him devastated because he thought his World Cup dream was over. Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, however, backed him throughout the situation.

Surgery or the World Cup?

Doctors recommended surgery.

That would have given the finger a better chance of returning to normal, but the recovery period would have put his World Cup participation at serious risk.

Martinez chose another route.

Together with Argentina’s medical staff, he decided against surgery and instead played with the injured finger protected by a cast and heavy strapping. Adidas also produced a specially designed glove to help him play.

But the protection came with a price.

The heavy support significantly affected his ability to grip the ball. Martinez even trained with a volleyball for much of the tournament because he could not comfortably use a normal football.

‘I Was Diving Like a Zombie’

Speaking to Argentine journalist Gaston Edul, Martinez described the pain in brutal detail.

On the eve of Argentina’s World Cup match against Algeria, he was still practising dives with one arm because using the injured hand was so painful.

He described himself as “diving like a zombie”.

Whenever his hand hit the ground, he said, he would see stars. The pain was so severe that he cried almost every night, while the swollen finger looked like a sausage.

For a goalkeeper, it was an extraordinary physical challenge.

He Played Every Minute of Argentina’s World Cup

Despite the injury, Martinez played every minute of Argentina’s World Cup campaign.

Argentina reached the final but eventually lost to Spain after extra time.

Martinez has since acknowledged that the finger injury affected him significantly during the tournament. Nevertheless, he continued to stand between the posts for his country throughout the competition.

He had effectively chosen the national team over his own physical recovery.

The Injury Also Changed His Club Career

The problems did not end with the World Cup.

After the tournament, further X-rays showed that the finger had broken again. Martinez said the injury ultimately caused a potential move to an Italian club to collapse, with reports identifying Juventus as the likely destination.

He eventually joined Chelsea from Aston Villa for a reported £7.5 million.

Chelsea were aware of the condition of his finger. The club accepted that he could continue playing for the time being, although Martinez acknowledged that surgery would eventually be necessary.

‘I Would Do It Again’

Perhaps the most remarkable part of the story is that Martinez has no regrets.

He knows the finger will never fully return to its previous condition. He still plays through pain and cannot completely close the hand.

Yet if he faced the same decision again, he says he would make it again for Argentina.

Those, in his words, are the risks a player takes for the national team.

Now He Is Recovering From a Broken Jaw

Martinez is currently dealing with another injury.

During Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League win over Everton in October, he collided with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and suffered a fractured jaw. He required surgery after being taken to hospital.

He is now going through rehabilitation and working towards a return to Chelsea’s starting XI. The club have also been exploring protective equipment to help accelerate his comeback.

The jaw injury should eventually heal.

The finger is different.

That damage is likely to remain with him.

A Goalkeeper’s Sacrifice for His Country

Football has countless stories of players risking injury for their countries.

But Martinez’s story carries an especially painful dimension.

He knew that continuing to play could leave permanent damage to the very hand he needed to make saves at the biggest tournament in international football.

For a goalkeeper, the hands are not simply another part of the body. They are his most important professional weapon.

Martinez put that weapon at risk for Argentina.

He did not get to lift the World Cup trophy in 2026.

But his broken finger, the pain, the tears and the decision to keep playing have left behind one of the most striking stories of sacrifice from Argentina’s World Cup campaign.