Angel Di Maria: Argentine Football icon announces decision to retire after featuring in 2024 Copa America; marking an end to a stellar career
Argentina football star Angel Di Maria, one of the superstars for Albiceleste, who has become the only player for Lionel Scaloni’s men to score in three consecutive finals, has announced his decision to hang up his boots after a stellar career with the three-time World Champions. As imminent it looked from beginning, he would be last seen featuring for the Argentines in 2024 edition of Copa America, to be staged in the Americas.
Angel Di Maria- a football stalwart
Angel Di Maria has been one of the biggest names in World Football since decades. Owing to his lanky stature and clutch mentality, Di Maria has been the player to call upon whenever his team needs. One of the old guards for La Albiceleste, who formed an impressive and enterprising quartet among Messi, Aguero, Otamendi, he has been clutch for the World Champions, scoring in every finals they have won, starting with 2021 Copa America, at Maracanã against Brazil, at Wembley against Italy in the Finalissima and last but not the least, against France in Qatar World Cup- thus making him among the very few players to achieve this feat.
Nicknamed “Fideo”, owing to his slender frame and attacking mentality, Di Maria has made more than 130 appearances for the country, and has got his name on the score sheet 29 times. with three of them coming in three finals, which Lionel Scaloni’s men had played in. A vital cog in each club he had played for, including PSG, Benfica, Real Madrid, Juventus, Di Maria has showcased his class and exuberance over the years, making him one of the stars in that jersey.
A true champion
Di Maria has proven to the world his mettle, when he kept on scoring in several crunch fixtures. Combining with Messi and Aguero in the earlier days to forging a strike partnership with latest stars in the form of Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez, Fideo has grown to be one of the legends in the Argentine shirt. His last dance would be at Copa America 2024, but his contribution to Argentine football would always be remembered. In 2021, he scored the winner against Brazil at their den, in Maracanã following a Rodrigo De Paul’s assist from the midfield, etching his name in the record books, as he paved the way for three successive titles for Scaloni’s men.
Last night, it seemed that football fans had to prepare themselves for this unprecedented news. It was coming, but none knew it would have been so soon. Di Maria took to social media to convey his decision to retire at the end of Copa America 2024. He said, “I can’t express in words how much the ovation [against Brazil] has filled my soul. I enjoy every second of that affection and that of my teammates. They, my friends, without them this story would not have the same meaning. The affection of each and every one of them made me who I am today. “
“Unfortunately, we can’t let the events that took place in the stadium happen, nobody deserves that treatment, nor the beatings. Families and children were scared in the middle of a stadium where the only thing that should have happened was to watch and enjoy a match. Hopefully, this kind of thing won’t happen again. We as players will always defend our fans.”
He further added, “The Copa América will be the last time I wear the Argentina shirt, 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 career, wearing it, sweating in it and feeling it with all my pride. Thank you fans, thank you, family, thank you, friends and teammates, we continue to make history.”
Argentine fans have been dreading this announcement since last few months, as Di Maria, a favorite footballer for everyone, would be seen for the last time in an Argentina shirt few months from now on, and it would be expected that Albiceleste would be coming all guns blazing at the Copa America 2024. to battle their defense for the crown.
One Last Dance, Fideo!
