In an interview, Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez spoke about the upcoming World Cup final against Spain, admitting that he couldn't express the pride he felt and stating that the team doesn't choose its opponents.
"It feels special, like fate brought us together to play against them," Martinez said. He recalled that everyone initially thought they would meet in the Qatar World Cup final, then there were other possibilities, and now they have finally met. "Whether it's Spain or any other opponent, the World Cup final has a different feel, and I really can't express how proud I am right now."
When asked if this was his second World Cup final and whether it felt different from the match against France, Martinez frankly admitted: "I don't know how to say it. The semi-final against England a few days ago was the second most enjoyable match of my national team career because of the support of the fans and the history behind that match. Winning once is already difficult, but to win twice and bring Argentina its fourth star, I'm already praying and dreaming about all of this, just imagining the celebrations in Argentina, returning to my homeland, and enjoying it with the fans."
When asked about Spain keeping Yamal as a key player, Martinez responded casually: "I would prefer Leo (Messi) and Julian (Alvarez) to keep shooting and keep putting the ball in the top corner. If we can score three goals every game, we can win."
Martinez emphasized: "People always comment on the opponents we face, but we don't choose them; it's the teams we play against. I saw Colombia completely dominate Portugal, and then Switzerland beat Colombia. We also had a tough time against Switzerland; it's very difficult to play in such hot weather. Sunday's final is at 3 pm, and it will be very hot, but we have to play, win, and adapt to the conditions. No team is better at adapting to any situation than us."
When asked about his familiarity with the Spanish players, Martinez said, "Of course, we all know them, and they know us. There's very little room for error in the World Cup. We made some defensive mistakes that we wouldn't have made before, but like I said, if you have players in the attacking third who can always score a goal or two, then all we need to do is keep a clean sheet again to be crowned champions once more."
