Revealing what went on among Spain's players in the final: Martinez uncovers a surprise that made him cry before the World Cup

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Chelsea's Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez has revealed that he played in the recent World Cup with a broken finger, having refused surgery that could have ruled him out of the tournament. He also addressed Argentina's defeat to Spain in the final, insisting his country would have been crowned champions had the match gone to penalties.

Speaking in an interview with "Los Edul", the programme presented by Argentine journalists Gastón Edul and Esteban Edul, Martínez said he stayed convinced his country could settle the final against Spain despite losing to a single Ferran Torres goal on 19 July.

The goalkeeper backed himself to win any shootout. He even claimed he heard some of the Spain players talking about the need to settle the match before it got that far.

"Even they thought so," he said. "I heard them say: we have to win here. We can't go to penalties. I was sorry, and I said they scored the goal in the first ball of the second period of extra time, and that if we weren't champions it was because of that moment. I was completely certain that it was my day."

Martínez reckoned the Spain players had no appetite for a shootout, pointing to a conversation he had with one of their goalkeepers after the match: "One of their goalkeepers told me: thank God they won the match."

Bitter as the defeat was, the Argentine acknowledged Spain's right to win, saying they "won the final well". But he admitted he had felt greater awe facing France in the 2022 final than the side led by Luis de la Fuente. "They are very good," he added, "but I have a feeling that we would have beaten them today."

Then came the real bombshell. Martínez revealed he had played the entire World Cup with a broken finger, having been injured in the Europa League final when his ring finger slipped and left him in severe pain. Medical tests later confirmed the damage and cast doubt on his participation.

"The match ended, and everything returned to normal, but it was very painful," the goalkeeper said. "When I got to Birmingham, I went to the hospital, they showed me the images and told me my finger was broken. At that point I said: no, I won't be able to make it to the World Cup, and I started to cry."

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni moved quickly to reassure him, sending a message confirming he would take him to the tournament whether he could play or not. After consulting national team doctor Dani and Martín Tocalli, Martínez chose to skip surgery rather than risk his place.

The injury wrecked his preparation. He could not train normally even before the match against Switzerland, and he recalled his worry during the match against Egypt, when Argentina came close to going out. He asked Tocalli to get him back to normal training for the next game.

Postponing the surgery was a huge gamble, Martínez admitted. His finger will carry the damage for life, and he can no longer use his hand normally in certain movements.

He also touched on the recent injury that has kept him off the pitch, a fractured jaw that needed surgery. He likened the moment of impact to a knockout blow in mixed martial arts: "I passed out and don't remember anything. They put an X-ray up in the hospital, and I lost 3 teeth."

As for his comeback, Martínez is targeting the next international break with Argentina. "I need to play with Argentina," he said, "and my intention is to return during the international break."