2025-06-18

Emi Martinez and Partner Face Hostility at Ballon d'Or Gala

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Emi Martinez and Partner Face Hostility at Ballon d'Or Gala
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Emi Martinez and his spouse were subjected to relentless heckling upon their entrance at the Ballon d'Or ceremony. Despite this, the 32-year-old Argentine goalkeeper triumphed by retaining the Yashin Trophy. His actions during the 2022 World Cup final have made him a figure of scorn among French supporters. Emi Martinez and his spouse were subjected to relentless heckling upon their entrance at the Ballon d'Or ceremony. However, the Argentine, aged 32, had the final word as he successfully defended the Yashin Trophy. His antagonistic behavior during the 2022 World Cup final has made him a figure of scorn among French supporters. Martinez not only delivered an exceptional performance and played his psychological games during the penalty shootout but also incited French fans with his provocative celebration with the Golden Glove trophy. Nevertheless, Martinez was awarded the Yashin Trophy in 2023 for his World Cup achievements. Upon his return to Paris on Monday evening, he faced another hostile reception. Dressed in a black tuxedo, the Aston Villa goalkeeper walked the red carpet hand-in-hand with his elegant partner Mandinha, who wore a flowing red dress. The boos from the crowd were unmistakable, and neither seemed amused by the situation. Martinez briefly gave a thumbs-up, but it was unclear whether this was a genuine gesture or a sarcastic reply to someone not visible in the frame. The couple then posed for photographs before entering the Theatre du Chatelet for the prestigious awards ceremony. Inside, Martinez was recognized as the world's best goalkeeper for the second consecutive year, following his contributions to Aston Villa's Champions League campaign and Argentina's Copa America victory. He outperformed the likes of Spain's Unai Simon, Real Madrid's Andriy Lunin, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, becoming the first goalkeeper to retain the title. In the overall Ballon d'Or rankings, Martinez placed 18th in the voting, surpassing Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Antonio Rudiger, Cole Palmer, and others. Rodri claimed the top men's award for his performances with Manchester City and Spain's victory at Euro 2024. Rodri defeated Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Erling Haaland, and local favorite Kylian Mbappe in the voting. His fellow Spaniard Lamine Yamal finished eighth but secured the Kopa Trophy for the best young player under 21. The 17-year-old's standout performance at the Euros made him the third Spaniard in four years to receive the honor, following

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