Di María: World Cup shot, his future and Copa dream with Central | OneFootball

Ángel Di María will not be at the 2026 World Cup, but Argentine football is still thinking about him. With just eight days to go before the start of the World Cup and given the level he has been showing match after match at Rosario Central, the question about his absence from the Argentina national team was inevitable. Fideo answered it honestly on the Ballon d’Or website: he admitted that in the first call-ups without him he had “a strange feeling,” but made it clear that his decision is made and he is not going back on it. He also left the door open to something Argentine fans would appreciate: “I’d like to go to the World Cup. I still haven’t decided.”

Di María was precise in describing how he experienced the process of stepping away from the national team: “In the first call-ups, I did have that strange feeling of not being included. But it was only one or two call-ups, then that was it. I relaxed, I knew what I had decided. To this day, I still feel the same way.”

About the Argentina we will see at the World Cup, Fideo was optimistic and true to Scaloni’s philosophy: “I think the new generation can give that push to the older generation, who are still 28 or 29 years old, so they’re not old either. The only untouchable one is Messi. The others either play or they don’t. And it wasn’t only Scaloni who said it. He said it and followed through.” He also praised the internal competition: “None of them has their place guaranteed, and that makes the rivalry in there 100%, in every training session, in camp.”

As for the favorites for the title, he mentioned France, Spain, and Portugal as Argentina’s main competitors. And when asked whether he feels he is one of the most important players in the history of Argentine football, he answered with the honesty that defines him: “I’m not the one who should say it. But having scored goals in so many finals and having been involved in those goals puts you in an important place in the history of the national team. If I’m on that podium today, it’s because I ended up earning it.”

On his future at Central, the Rosario native was direct: “For now, until June, because my contract is ending and I have to renew it. I think for one more year; we go year by year, as long as I keep feeling good. That’s the main thing.” And he explained the philosophy that guides each of his decisions: “I’ll keep going until my body tells me, ‘That’s enough, you gave everything. You can leave in peace.’ I’m happy coming to training, having a good time, laughing with my teammates. I’m happy playing football. Everything I achieved was because the only thing that mattered to me was enjoying myself, playing, and having a good time.”

Di María ended with the wish that motivates him most at this point in his career: winning the Copa Libertadores with Rosario Central. “It was unique for me to have been able to win and lift the Champions League. Any player who goes from South America to Europe dreams of achieving something important. I had that possibility. Nowadays, playing in the Libertadores, both for me and for the club, is something incredible. The only thing we want is to be able to win it.”

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