Di María on Argentina return: “Nothing’s changed” | OneFootball

Ángel Di María was once again the hero for Rosario Central: he played injured but it was enough for him to score a goal in the impressive 2-0 win against Newell’s in the derby, as a visitor. Beyond his enduring quality, and the fact that he stands out as one of the main stars of current Argentine football, he made it clear once again that he is not considering a possible return to the Argentine National Team to play in the 2026 World Cup.

“You can always come back. You can always return, that’s the reality, but it’s not about that…,” he warned. And he added: “I said it at the time because it was what I felt, that’s the reality. There’s a really good generation of players coming through. It happened to me too. When these important matches come, like the World Cup or Copa América, you need playing time to feel good. And, when you’re there, sometimes you take away the opportunity from those coming up behind, and that’s not nice.”

In an interview with the program Todo Pasa (Urbana Play, FM 104.3), Fideo assured that “being in the National Team is the most beautiful thing there is” but emphasized that he is not thinking about returning to Lionel Scaloni’s squad. “I’m firm, I’m still the same, haha,” he said with a laugh.

He also explained that he was thinking of stepping aside after the historic triumph in Qatar 2022, although his teammates convinced him to continue and, for that reason, he said goodbye at the Copa América in the United States 2024: “I’m being honest. I didn’t leave because I won the Copa América. I was going to leave after the World Cup because I felt I had completed a cycle. Then the guys started saying ‘no, no, no’… I wasn’t so sure about it.”

“I’m calm. I know what’s being said, what people talk about. I message with some of the guys. They also tell me the same thing when I post pictures of me scoring goals… I’m grateful, I’m good,” he stated.

Fideo returned to Rosario Central in 2025 and today is one of the main figures in Argentine football. “It’s an enormous happiness. I’m more than happy with everything I’m experiencing. Being able to be in my city, with my family, friends… It’s something unique for me,” he said. And he added: “I never thought at 38 years old I’d be in this kind of shape, honestly. Taking care of myself, doing everything I do before and after training, always looking after myself.”

“I have teammates beside me who give me perfect passes, who give everything. That allows me to stand out even more than I normally could,” he explained about the Rosario squad. “Gato Ávila said it yesterday, they run for me, play for me, and throw themselves on the ground for me. So having those players by my side, who give everything, who give me perfect passes and I only have to receive the ball in the final third, makes my job much easier,” he concluded.

Di María is one of the most important players in the history of the Argentine National Team and scored goals in four finals: the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Copa América Brazil 2021, the Finalissima 2022, and the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

After winning everything with the Albiceleste (he said goodbye with the continental title in the United States 2024), in 2025 he returned to Rosario Central: today he is the team’s main flagbearer and continues to write golden chapters. The Copa Libertadores looms as his next great challenge on the horizon.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.