Emiliano Martinez, the best goalkeeper of the 2022 World Cup, has hinted at wanting to play alongside Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"If there's one thing I haven't achieved with the national team, it's winning the Olympic gold medal," the Aston Villa goalkeeper told DirecTV Sports .
At the Olympics, each team is allowed to register three players over the age of 23. Last year, Argentina's U23 coach Javier Mascherano said he had invited Messi and Di Maria to coach the youth players in Paris.
Martinez and Messi during Argentina's victory over the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup on December 10, 2022. Photo: Reuters
According to Argentinian media, Martinez genuinely wants to join his two national team teammates at the 2024 Paris Olympics, as an Olympic gold medal is the only major title the 31-year-old goalkeeper is still missing from his international career. Prior to this, Martinez won the 2022 World Cup and the 2021 Copa America.
Messi has not yet announced whether he wants to play in the Olympics. Meanwhile, Di Maria has previously shared that he wants to retire from the national team after the 2024 Copa America, which takes place from June 20 to July 14, while the Olympics are held from the end of July to the beginning of August.
Martinez is also willing to give opportunities to younger goalkeepers in the national team if Argentina successfully defends their Copa America title in 2024. He said: "Young players always need opportunities to play. If the team achieves good results in the upcoming Copa America, we should give younger players a chance to play."
Players like Messi or Martinez will likely have to choose between the Copa America and the Olympics. There have been players before who participated in two major tournaments in a row, such as Pedri, the Spanish midfielder who played in both the Euros and the Olympics in the same summer of 2021 at the age of 19. However, that would be a much greater challenge for players over 30.
Messi recently played for Inter Miami in a friendly match, drawing 1-1 with Newell's Old Boys – the club he played for as a child. Meanwhile, Martinez will be with Aston Villa as they visit Fulham in the 25th round of the Premier League tomorrow, February 17th.
Duy Doan (according to Goal )
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