Emi Martínez: The Kid Who Stops Time
This Netflix animated documentary (released May 28, 2026) blends charming hand-drawn animation by cartoonist Liniers with real interviews and archival soccer footage to tell how young Emiliano 'Dibu' Martínez grew from a dreamy kid in Mar del Plata into Argentina's World Cup hero. The content is very gentle overall, with the main talking point for little ones being an animated soccer ball that antagonizes Emi and voices self-doubt, which a small number of reviewers flag as mildly unsettling for very young viewers.
A comfortable watch for soccer-loving families with kids around 6 and up; younger children can enjoy it with a grown-up nearby for the occasional tense animated moments.
If you’d rather skip
The animated soccer ball appears repeatedly as a pestering, sometimes ominous presence that voices doubts and challenges directed at young Emi; its tone shifts from playful to unsettling in a few moments.
Extended sequences cover Emi leaving his family behind in Argentina as a young teenager to pursue soccer in Buenos Aires and later abroad; parents and siblings describe this separation with visible emotion.
Emi openly discusses going to therapy to cope with loneliness and isolation while living far from family; a gentle, positive moment that normalizes seeking help and worth watching together.