Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who plays for Aston Villa, has received a two-match suspension from FIFA, preventing him from playing for the Argentine national team in the upcoming 2026 World Cup South American qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia.

According to the Argentine Football Association (AFA) on its official website, despite the defense put forth by both the federation and the player, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee found 'Dibu' "responsible for offensive behavior and violating the principles of fair play" during matches against Chile and Colombia, also part of the World Cup qualifiers.

The statement notes that the player is suspended for two matches, with the suspension applying to the "next official match(es) of the Argentine Football Association's representative team."

The AFA expressed its "complete disagreement with FIFA's decision," adding this in their official statement.

On September 5, during the Argentina-Chile match, 'Dibu' repeated an obscene gesture with the Copa América trophy, similar to one he had made on previous occasions, including after winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He placed the trophy in front of his genitals, an action that has now been punished by FIFA.

Additionally, after Argentina's 2-1 loss to Colombia on September 10, Martínez greeted several opponents on the field, including his Aston Villa teammate Jhon Jader Durán. At one point, he moved toward a camera filming him and slapped it with his hand.

The incident was caught by cameras broadcasting the match in Barranquilla and quickly shared on social media, where Colombian fans interpreted it as a display of bad sportsmanship.

The next day, the Colombian Association of Sports Journalists (Acord Colombia) strongly condemned the incident, stating in a press release that "slapping the cameraman's equipment to knock it to the ground is an attack on freedom of expression, which our organization does not tolerate. Colombia is a country where the freedom to report is respected."

Argentina, currently leading the qualification table with 18 points, will face Venezuela away on October 10 and Bolivia at home on October 15. They are two points ahead of Colombia and three ahead of Uruguay.