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Angel Di Maria has announced he will retire from Argentina's national team following the 2024 Copa America. Fans have saluted the Benfica legend upon his announcement.
The 35-year-old has told Argentinian outlet Todo Pasa that he's set to retire from international duty next year. He said:
"I will leave Argentina national team after Copa America, it's over for me."
Angel Di Maria has been a hero for La Abiceleste since making his international debut in 2008. He's earned 134 caps, scoring 29 goals and providing as many assists.
The former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain star was part of the Argentina side that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup last year. He scored in the 3-3 draw prior to a 4-2 penalty shootout final victory against France and also provided two assists during the tournament.
Di Maria was also in the Abiceleste squad that won Copa America in 2021. He made six appearances during that tournament, scoring one goal and providing an assist.
It will be the end of an era for the Argentinian icon who currently plays his club football at Primeira Liga side Benfica. Fans have reacted to the news by thanking him for his contributions to the national team.
One fan posted a picture of Argentina's No.11 alongside Lionel Messi, captioning it:
"End of an era."
Another fan thanked the former Manchester United attacker:
"Thank you for everything."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Angel Di Maria's announcement:
Angel Di Maria was glad to have played alongside Argentina hero Lionel Messi at PSG
Angel Di Maria also expressed his pride in playing with Messi for PSG during the 2021-22 campaign. He found game time hard to come by that season, only starting 22 of 31 games across competitions, scoring five goals and providing nine assists.
The Benfica winger spoke highly of his time playing alongside Messi at the Parc des Princes, albeit it was short. He said (via the aforementioned source):
"With Leo I accomplished everything. The only thing I was missing was to play in a club with him, and the day they said goodbye to me in PSG. I hugged him and told him: '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.'"
Di Maria left PSG for Juventus in 2022 after his contract expired. He spent seven years with the Parisians, winning five Ligue 1 titles including one with his Argentina teammate.
