Ángel Di María’s Final Bow: Retirement from Argentina National Team After 2024 Copa America

In a surprising turn of events, Ángel Di María, the World Cup champion, has declared that he’ll be hanging up his international boots following the 2024 Copa America. Let’s dive into what he had to say about his decision and some humorous highlights.

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The Last Tango with Argentina

Di María, affectionately known as “Fideo” (which means noodle in Spanish, and no, we won’t make noodle jokes here), spilled the beans about his retirement in a candid interview with Todo Pasa.

In his own words, Di María stated, “It’s the Copa America and it’s over. It’s the last thing for me with the national team.” Well, that’s about as clear as it gets.

The Messi Connection

Of course, a conversation about the Argentine national team wouldn’t be complete without a mention of Lionel Messi, the soccer wizard himself. Di María and Messi have shared the field, the sweat, and a bunch of goals together.

He fondly said, “With Leo, I accomplished everything. The only thing I was missing was to play in a club with him…” Aw, isn’t that sweet? But seriously, who wouldn’t want to play alongside the GOAT, right?

Di María continued, “the only thing I’m grateful for is to have been able to play with you in a club, to be able to see you every day.” We’re sure a lot of us can relate, except most of us don’t get to share a field with Messi, unfortunately.

World Cup Final Feels

And then there’s that memorable 2022 World Cup final. Di María was visibly emotional about it. He confessed, “I felt that I had to miss those matches for that final, the final that I had not been given in 2014.” It’s like he had a date with destiny, and he couldn’t be late for it.

Even when he was substituted, he wasn’t just cooling his heels; he was shedding some tears. Not because he was tired, mind you, but because he could feel that something big was about to happen.

“…we didn’t lose. All I did was pray and ask for it to be ours.” Now, we’re not saying that prayers win soccer matches, but in Di María’s case, maybe they did.

The Final Curtain

So there you have it. Di María is ready to bid adieu to international football after one more spin at the Copa America. We’ll miss watching those silky skills, but who knows, maybe he’ll still pop up in some charity matches, or perhaps in an all-star legends team.

Farewell, Fideo, and may the football pitch always be a place where your magic lingers!