Emiliano Martinez, one of the heroes of Argentina’s FIFA World Cup win in 2022, arrived in Kolkata to a rapturous reception on Monday. Hundreds of Mohun Bagan fans gathered at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International airport to catch a glimpse of the goalkeeper, whose saves in the penalty shootout against France inspired Argentina’s first victory in the showpiece event since 1986.
Martinez was received at the airport by Mohun Bagan secretary Debasish Datta and Minister Sujit Bose. He was presented with a green-and-maroon uttariya.
After a quick interaction with the media, he was quickly escorted to the JW Marriott hotel. Martinez expressed his excitement on reaching the City of Joy. He will be in the city for the next two days, during which he will attend several events, including a visit to the Mohun Bagan ground on Tuesday, July 4.
“I am excited and happy to be here,” Martinez said to the media gathered at Kolkata Airport. “Feeling great, coming to India was a dream.”
Martinez arrived from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. He had reached there in the wee hours of Monday morning. He met Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh Prime Minister, at her Ganabhaban office. Commending Martinez’s exceptional performance, which contributed to Argentina’s World Cup win, Hasina praised him as the man who brought glory to his country and wished him continued success.