Martinez sets new World Cup final record with 11 saves

The Argentina national team failed to defend their title after a 0-1 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup final. However, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez recorded a historic performance in the decisive match.

The Aston Villa keeper made 11 saves during the match. This is the highest number of saves ever recorded by a goalkeeper in a World Cup final.

Martinez kept Argentina in the game for a long time

Spain consistently increased the pressure on their opponent's goal throughout the final. When Argentina's defense was under pressure, Martinez saved his team from certain goals several times.

Thanks to his reliable performance, the score remained level in regular time. Many dangerous chances created by Spanish players were thwarted by the Argentine goalkeeper's saves.

Thus, the fate of the championship was decided in extra time.

Even 11 saves could not prevent defeat

Although Martinez saved almost every shot in the final, Spain finally achieved their goal in extra time.

In the 106th minute Ferran Torres scored the only goal of the match. The South American side could not equalize in the remaining time and lost 0-1.

Thus, Martinez's record did not bring the trophy to Argentina. However, his performance in the final allowed the team to fight for the title until the very last minutes.

A new record in World Cup final history

A World Cup final is one of the most high-pressure matches for any goalkeeper. Making 11 saves in such a game shows the immense workload Martinez handled.

He was not only one of the most active players for Argentina but also set a new benchmark in World Cup final statistics.

Although the final result was painful for the Argentines, Martinez's personal achievement will remain in history as one of the most notable events of the tournament.

Spain becomes two-time world champion

After the 1-0 victory, Spain won their second World Cup title in history.

The team first won the trophy at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Back then, the Spaniards also defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in extra time in the final.

16 years later, history almost repeated itself: another 0-0 draw in regular time, another extra time period, and another single goal in Spain's favor.

This time the trophy went to Spain, but one of the players who put up the greatest resistance in the final was Emiliano Martinez. He could not save his team from defeat, but he wrote his name into World Cup history with 11 saves.