'My time will come': Emiliano Martinez vows to repay teammates

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez admitted he was left disappointed with his own performance despite his side's dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, saying "my time will come" as he vowed to repay his teammates after they carried him through another tense victory.

Speaking after the match at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Martinez said he felt he had failed to make the impact expected of him.

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"After the 2-0, I felt like I couldn't help anyone, and I don't like that feeling," Martinez told reporters. "I think my time will come. I need to help them a lot more. They're saving me in several games, and it's my turn to do it."

The 32-year-old also revealed the mood inside the dressing room at halftime after captain Lionel Messi missed a penalty that could have levelled the match.

"Leo felt guilty at halftime, but he has saved us so many times. That's why I have to play better," Martinez said, taking responsibility instead of dwelling on his captain's miss.

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Martinez admitted the final whistle brought a wave of emotion as Argentina narrowly avoided an early World Cup exit.

"Obviously, tears come because you think you're going home and you didn't give enough. We don't want to let anyone down, and we want to represent ourselves as Argentinians," he said.

"Even though we don't have what the Europeans have, we try to be happy and give a little more."

The goalkeeper also acknowledged the tense nature of Argentina's last two matches against Cape Verde and Egypt.

"We were talking with the guys about how we didn't experience what we did in these two matches at the last World Cup," he said. "It's good to face what's coming, and if we have to suffer, we will. I think there will be a match along the way where we don't suffer so much."

With Argentina through to the quarterfinals, Martinez believes his defining contribution is still to come as the defending champions continue their title defence.

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