FIFA has suspended Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez for two matches of South American World Cup qualifying in October, the Argentina soccer association (AFA) announced Friday.
The 32-year-old Martínez will miss official games against Venezuela on Oct. 10 and Bolivia on Oct. 15 in the round-robin competition.
FIFA’s disciplinary commission sanctioned Martínez for incidents in two recent World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Colombia, according to the AFA statement. The specific incidents leading to the punishment were not described.
Martínez made headlines after Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Chile when he repeated an obscene gesture, holding the Copa America trophy close to his genitals. He had previously done this after Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar in late 2022.
In a separate incident, Martínez slapped a local cameraman following Argentina’s 2-1 loss to Colombia in Barranquilla.
The AFA expressed strong disagreement with FIFA’s decision in its statement.
Argentina currently leads South American World Cup qualifying with 18 points after eight games. Colombia follows with 16 points, and Uruguay is in third place with 15 points.
The suspension of Martínez, a key player in Argentina’s recent international successes, may impact the team’s performance in the upcoming qualifiers.
