Angel Di Maria, one of the most talented wingers to ever grace the soccer pitch, is bidding farewell to his national team after an illustrious career that included numerous trophies and personal awards.
‘Angelito’, nicknamed by his Argentine teammates, has been a long-time servant for La Albiceleste. However, in an emotional announcement on Instagram, the former Real Madrid, and Manchester United star has declared that the upcoming Copa America in 2024 will be the last time he will be seen donning the national colors.
The 35-year-old winger made his international debut in 2008 and accumulated well over 100 caps for his country, leaving behind a legacy enriched with World Cup, Copa America, and Olympic gold with La Albiceleste.
🚨 BREAKING: Ángel Di María announces on Instagram that The Copa América will be the last time he will wear the Argentina National Team jersey.
“With all the pain in my soul and feeling a lump in my throat, I say goodbye to the most beautiful thing that happened to me in my… pic.twitter.com/DTkxEcZ3sE
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) November 23, 2023
Angel Di Maria stated in the post, “The Copa America will be the last time I wear the Argentine shirt, with all the pain of the soul and feeling a lump in my throat I say goodbye to the most beautiful thing that happened to me in my career, dress it, sweat it, and FEEL it with all my pride.”
Di Maria who won the 2014 Argentina Player of the Year, has participated in a total of 136 games for Argentina having scored 29 goals and providing 29 assists. He also found himself on the scoresheet against France during the final of last year’s FIFA World Cup.
Di Maria is set to spend the remainder of the season with Benfica, from where it all began for the winger. He signed for the Portuguese-based club earlier this season on a free transfer for one year.
Atletico Madrid’s Rodrigo De Paul pays tribute to Angel Di Maria as retirement looms
Atletico Madrid and Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul has expressed his gratitude towards Angel Di Maria’s impactful career for Argentina via Instagram.
De Paul who is also a World Cup winner for Argentina, replied to Di Maria’s post regarding his retirement plans for the national team by putting a story where he wrote, “Thank you, brother, you taught us everything! There is still a chapter to be written. Te amo.”
❤️🇦🇷 Rodrigo De Paul’s message to Ángel Di María: “Thank you for all the teachings you left us, for your convictions, for always guiding you by what your heart tells you.
“For your goals in the final, for the talks at any time, for the laughter, for the card games, for showing… pic.twitter.com/doIxTkfBm1
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) November 23, 2023
The 35-year-old winger, who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury, only played a handful of minutes for La Albiceleste during the recently concluded international break. Argentina saw the better of their arch-rivals Brazil at the Maracana, winning the game by 1-0.
However, it is certain that Di Maria might not be feeling his body and that might be the reason for his decision to step aside from International soccer. The 2024 Copa America which will be the last time Di Maria will be featuring for the South American nation, is set to start from June 20, 2024, in the United States.