Martinez 'best in the world - again'

Aston Villa's number one Emiliano Martinez was crowned best goalkeeper in the world for a consecutive year at the Ballon d'Or awards on Monday.

The 32-year-old has been rewarded for another fantastic year for club and country and becomes the first goalkeeper to win the Yashin Trophy twice.

Martinez recorded five clean sheets in six games for Argentina as they defended their Copa America title in July, winning the Golden Glove in the process.

That followed a successful campaign for Villa in which he also kept 15 clean sheets in all competitions as they qualified for the Champions League.

"Back-to-back is something I never expected," said Martinez. "I'm just proud to be here.

"All thanks to my family and friends."

Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon came second to Martinez, while Real Madrid's Andriy Lunin finished third.

In addition to winning the goalkeeping award, Martinez also placed 18th in the overall 2024 Ballon d’Or standings.

Martinez joined Villa from Arsenal for £17m in 2020 and has made 171 appearances for the club to date.

Villa said on X: "Best in the world ... again."

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