Emiliano Martínez is still the standard, but Juan Musso’s season has turned a depth chart into a real discussion
Argentina do not have a goalkeeper debate in the usual sense. Emiliano Martínez remains the country’s clear No. 1, the man tied to the biggest nights of this cycle and the most decisive tournament moments of the last four years. What Argentina may have, though, is something almost as useful heading toward the next World Cup: a second goalkeeper who is playing meaningful matches at a very high level.
Martínez’s case still starts with what he has already done for Argentina. FIFA named him The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper 2024, making him the first two-time winner of that award, and he added another major international honor when he took the Golden Glove at Copa América 2024. His standing as a tournament goalkeeper was established earlier, of course, when he won the Golden Glove at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Those are not abstract credentials. They are the backbone of his reputation, and they explain why Argentina’s hierarchy in goal still begins with him.
The club numbers support that status. In the Premier League this season, Martínez has remained Aston Villa’s first-choice keeper, with 27 starts through 32 league games according to recent reporting, while official league and competition pages continue to list him as a regular with Villa and as a major part of their European run. He’s notched eight Europa League appearances, 22 saves, and four clean sheets this season. Even with a recent calf concern, there is no real evidence that his place has slipped. He is still playing in the kind of matches that shape elite reputations.
Musso’s profile is different, which is what makes this interesting. He does not arrive with Martínez’s international résumé, and his place in Argentina’s squad has never felt quite as permanent. When Atlético Madrid made his move permanent in June 2025 that Musso had been capped twice by Argentina since his 2019 debut. Even so, his club season has given him a stronger argument than he had a year ago. Atlético signed him through 2028, and this spring he has played in matches with real consequence.
Backup goalkeepers are often judged in theory. Musso is now being judged in competition. He’s made four appearances in UCL this term along with 27 saves, and one clean sheet this season, while grabbing five La Liga starts, 15 saves, two clean sheets, and seven goals conceded.
Musso made key saves in Europe as well as Atlético survived Barcelona to reach the Champions League semifinals. That does not make him Martínez’s equal. It does make him more than a reserve name on a team sheet.
Why the shape of the conversation has changed
The most useful way to frame this is not to pretend Argentina suddenly has two goalkeepers with identical standing. It doesn’t. Martínez remains the one with the medals, the penalty-shootout history, and the established authority in international football. Musso, by contrast, is building a case based on recent club form, squad reliability, and exposure to late-stage European pressure. The gap between them is still real, but it is narrower in practical terms than it once looked.
There is also a broader squad point here. Argentina’s current pool still includes Gerónimo Rulli alongside Martínez and Musso, so the depth chart behind the starter is not closed. But Musso has at least forced his way into the serious part of that conversation. Argentina’s official and squad listings continue to place all three in the frame, which means this is not just about one backup having a good month. It is about a national team entering the final stretch before the World Cup with more than one credible answer in goal.
Martínez is still the reason Argentina can trust the biggest moments. Musso is the reason the position suddenly looks deeper than it did before. Heading toward 2026, that may be the sharper point. Argentina do not merely have an elite starter. They may have the kind of goalkeeping depth that serious World Cup contenders usually need.
