India, July 21 -- Emiliano Martinez, the Argentine goalkeeper, has admitted he will take time to reflect on his international future following Argentina's narrow 0-1 loss to Spain in the FIFA World Cup final, suggesting retirement from national team duty is a possibility. The 33-year-old, a cornerstone of Argentina's recent success, revealed he is weighing whether "the time has come to step aside" after the heartbreaking defeat brought the Albiceleste's title defence to an end.

Martinez featured in every minute of Argentina's eight matches during the tournament, registering two clean sheets while conceding eight goals. His performances once again highlighted his importance between the posts, even though Argentina fell just short of lifti...