Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez Banned For Two Matches By FIFA Over Offensive Behaviour.
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been handed a two-match suspension by FIFA following incidents in Argentina’s recent World Cup qualifiers. The ban means Martinez will miss Argentina’s upcoming fixtures against Venezuela and Bolivia in October.
The suspension stems from two separate events during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers earlier this month. On 6 September, after Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Chile, Martinez repeated his controversial celebration from the 2022 World Cup, holding a replica Copa America trophy against his crotch. This was Argentina’s first match since winning the Copa America in the United States in July.
A further incident occurred on 10 September, when Martinez hit a camera with his gloves after a cameraman approached him on the pitch following Argentina’s 2-1 defeat by Colombia.
The Argentina Football Association (AFA) has expressed its disagreement with the ban, although it acknowledged that Martinez was “responsible” for his actions.
Martinez, who won the Golden Glove award at the 2022 World Cup, has become known for his bold celebrations, including placing the Golden Glove trophy near his groin during the World Cup presentation. His recent actions, however, have drawn criticism and resulted in FIFA’s disciplinary action.
The ban means Martinez will be unavailable for selection in Argentina’s critical World Cup qualifying matches in October.
