Why Emi Martinez Gets a Special World Cup Kit for Argentina vs Austria
Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez is getting a special FIFA honor with the kit he’ll wear during their World Cup group match against Austria. Argentina started their World Cup journey with a bang, thanks to Lionel Messi’s amazing hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria.
They’ll face Austria on June 22, with Austria having won their first game 3-1 against Jordan. While Messi’s fitness seems solid after the opener, fans noticed some small changes to his kit. That’s because Messi is one of five players wearing a Legacy Patch this tournament, celebrating his five-plus World Cup appearances.
The other players with this patch are Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Luka Modrić (Croatia), Manuel Neuer (Germany), and Yuto Nagatomo (Japan). Meanwhile, Harry Kane (England), Kylian Mbappé (France), and James Rodríguez (Colombia) wear patches showing their Golden Boot wins from recent World Cups.
Emiliano Martínez is also standing out with a Golden Glove patch, given to top goalkeepers. He joins Thibaut Courtois (Belgium) and Manuel Neuer wearing this special patch, honors from the 2022, 2018, and 2014 tournaments.
Newcomers to the World Cup have patches too, marking their first appearance. Plus, teams that have won the World Cup before—like England, France, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay—wear a gold badge on their shirts. Teams without a win wear black or white patches that match their kits.
After the World Cup, these patches will be taken off and turned into special memorabilia for Topps trading cards, thanks to FIFA’s new deal with the brand Fanatics owns. This deal starts in 2031, after FIFA’s current agreement with Panini ends.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the deal “will run for many years and several tournaments and includes the first-ever player jersey patch program, which kicks off at this World Cup.”