Lionel Messi declared Argentina's penalty shootout saviour Emiliano Martinez as 'the best goalkeeper in the world' after he saved the Albiceleste from an early exit from the ongoing Copa America against Ecuador yesterday.

Martinez saved two penalties in the shootout as Argentina overcame Ecuador to reach the semifinals of the Copa America where they will face first-time semifinalists Canada.

The shootout against Ecuador got off on the wrong foot for the defending champions as Messi's Panenka kick struck the crossbar.

But Martinez didn't allow Argentina to lose their way in the shootout, denying Angel Mena and Alan Minda to give his side an early advantage, and Nicolas Otamendi then tucked home the winning penalty to send them through.

After the match, Messi took to social media to thank his teammates where he proclaimed Argentina's shot-stopper the best in the world.

"One more step... We suffered a lot against a tough opponent. We passed to the semis thanks to the work of everyone and on top of that we have the best goalkeeper in the world @emi_martinez26. Go Argentina!" Messi wrote on Instagram.

This is not the first time that Martinez has emerged as Argentina's saviour, most famously helping the team beat France in a penalty shootout in the final of  FIFA World Cup 2022.