Di María's odd admission on joining Benfica: knew absolutely nothing | OneFootball

At the end of five years linked to Benfica (2007-2010 and 2023-2025), Di María fulfilled his dream of returning to Argentina and playing again for Rosario Central, with whom he is playing in the Copa Libertadores and was crowned Argentine champion in 2025. The winger recalled his spell at Luz in an interview and admitted he did not know where Portugal was.

"I played 36 matches for Central and had the chance to play in the U-20 World Cup, and that gave me the springboard to go to Portugal. A place I didn’t even know where it was, I knew absolutely nothing, but when I arrived I was very surprised", he revealed, in statements to Sports Illustrated.

The 38-year-old said he saw similarities between Lisbon and Rosario and that he is grateful for the support of Benfica’s fans. "I found a city similar to Rosario, very similar. Incredible people, pleasant, happy. Honestly, I have no other word besides gratitude for everyone in Portugal, the league, Benfica, for everything they gave me during the five years in total", he said.

who got involved in controversy on social media reinforced his view, stressing that the support was immediate. "From the day I arrived I became an idol, even though I still wasn’t, because I hadn’t won anything yet, I still wasn’t anything, but they treated me that way. They saw things that perhaps at that time I didn’t see myself, but over the years everything happened and I ended up being very loved", he explained.

To finish, "Fideo" spoke about the time Maradona went to watch him play at the Estádio da Luz. "He was like a father, because he always protected me from everything, always tried to keep me away from everything. I don’t know whether the fact that Diego took me to a World Cup meant anything, but what did mean something was that he went to watch me at Benfica", he said.

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