Former Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United player, Angel Di Maria, has officially declared his retirement from the national team. The midfielder revealed that he will bid farewell after the 2024 Copa America, meaning he won’t be part of the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Di Maria shared this heartfelt decision on his official Instagram account on Thursday, November 23, 2023, describing it as a challenging choice that he felt deep within his soul.
In his own words, he expressed, “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, dressing it, sweating it, and feeling it with all the pride.”
Earlier reports suggested that players, including Di Maria, were contemplating leaving the national team due to Messi. However, this decision was reconsidered by the former Barcelona player.
Di Maria had previously contemplated international retirement after facing a third consecutive final defeat, following the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 Copa America. Reflecting on those moments, he shared, “When Messi retired, I thought about doing the same. You can lose a final, but three in a row, that’s something different.
I thought about leaving the national team, but my wife and my father stopped me. I almost started therapy, but in the end, I decided it was something I had to figure out by myself. If I lose another final, that’s it.”
Di Maria will forever cherish his time with the national team, marked by victories in the Copa America and the FIFA World Cup.