Three years ago, he was a struggling goalkeeper going on loan spells in search of a breakthrough. Now, he is the toast of a nation and possibly the most important player in Argentina’s squad after Lionel Messi. Who is this crazy custodian at the peak of an insane journey?

1. He has had to work his way up

Unlike other custodians like Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma or Spain’s David de Gea, Martinez was not entrusted with a starting berth early on in his career for club and country.

Following his youth career at Independiente, he moved to Arsenal at 17, but ended up going on loan spells at six smaller clubs.

Before he signed a permanent deal with Aston Villa as a 28-year-old in September 2020, Martinez had clocked just 101 senior appearances. In comparison, Donnarumma crossed the 100-game mark before he turned 20.

His ascension is evident from his World Cup. Martinez was having a family asado (barbeque) when Argentina lost the 2014 final to Germany in extra time. Four years later in Russia, he was in the stands with his family again as a supporter, but turned to his brother Alejandro and said: “I told him that in the next one, I would be there.”

And now, he is a world champion. That’s pretty mad.

2. His fortunes skyrocketed from 2020

The turning point of his career was in 2020. Martinez had made just 14 senior appearances before this season, but new Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta gave him a lifeline when he was used as the Gunners’ FA Cup goalkeeper.

It turned out to be an inspired move as he kept three clean sheets en route to the final, in which he produced several top saves to help his team beat Chelsea 2-1.

After becoming first choice at Aston Villa, he kept a club record 15 clean sheets in his first season and caught the eye of Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, who handed him his international debut in a 1-1 World Cup qualifier draw against Chile in June 2021.

One month later, he was a Copa America champion, keeping four clean sheets, including one in the 1-0 final win over Brazil, and won the Golden Glove as well.

Another 18 months on, Martinez repeated the feat at the World Cup.

3. He is pretty good in penalty situations

Perhaps it was a hidden specialty as he had not played that many games at the start of his career, and he did not actually have to save any penalties in Arsenal’s 2020 Community Shield shoot-out win over Liverpool.

But his talent came to the fore after he saved John Lundstram’s spot kick in a 1-0 win over Sheffield United on his Villa debut.

Martinez repeated the feat at the 2021 Copa America when he denied Arturo Vidal in a 1-1 group draw against Chile. He then saved three spot kicks in the semi-final shootout victory over Colombia.

At Qatar 2022, he again came up big with two blocks in the quarter-final shootout triumph over the Netherlands, before replicating his heroics in the final shootout against France in which he parried Kingsley Coman’s penalty.

4. He is capable of some shithousery

We know goalkeepers can be eccentric, but Martinez can be muito loco (very crazy) at times.

Maybe it is the pent-up frustration of warming the bench for so long, or it could be the desire to be recognised, as he once said: “In Argentina they didn’t know me as a player like I deserved and wanted.”

In the Copa America semi-final shootout against Colombia, he successfully spooked Yerry Mina in what has become a viral video: “You’re laughing but you’re nervous … I’m going to eat you alive.”

In the World Cup final shootout, he threw the ball away from Aurelian Tchouameni in a spot of mind games, which again worked as the French midfielder drilled wide.

And after winning the World Cup Golden Glove, he made a lewd gesture by holding the trophy at his crotch and pulling a face. Boys will be boys?

5. He is nicknamed after a cartoon character

Maybe he just never grew up. In Argentina, Martinez is known as Dibu, which is short of Dibujo, a character from the Argentine cartoon series Mi Familia Es Un Dibujo.

He said: “As a child I was very similar to the protagonist of the series, especially for the freckles that he had on his face and the dyed hair.”