Martínez Broke a Finger in Warm-Up but Played to Secure Villa’s Europa League Title

Overview

• Martínez said he fractured a finger during the pre-match warm-up and had the digit immobilized before starting the Europa League final in Istanbul.
• He played the full match, kept a clean sheet and made decisive saves as Aston Villa beat Freiburg 3–0 to win the competition.
• Martínez described playing through the injury as part of the sacrifice needed to become a champion and left the field only briefly for medical treatment before kickoff.
• Argentine reports cited by coverage state the injury is not expected to jeopardize his World Cup place but Villa have not confirmed whether he will be available for the upcoming match against Manchester City.
• Martínez’s performance capped a milestone for the club by ending a 30-year trophy drought and leaves Villa and Argentina monitoring short-term recovery and fitness updates.