Ángel Di María

Lore & Background

Di María began his career with Rosario Central but first came into prominence at Benfica after signing for the club in 2007, aged 19. He helped Benfica win the Primeira Liga, the club's first league title in five years, and two Taça da Liga titles. In 2010, Di María moved to Spanish club Real Madrid in a transfer worth €25 million, where he won the 2011–12 La Liga title and the 2013–14 Champions League, amongst other honours. In 2014, Di María was selected in the FIFPRO Men's World 11 and the UEFA Team of the Year. After a falling out with the board at Madrid, he signed for Manchester United in 2014 in a then-British record deal worth £59.7 million (€75.6 million), and inherited the iconic number 7 shirt. After only one season, Di María left England to join PSG in 2015. In his debut season, he scored the winning goal in the 2016 Coupe de la Ligue final and set a Ligue 1 record with 18 assists in a season, as he won his first of five French league titles as part of a domestic treble. In 2017–18, he was the top scorer in the Coupe de France as PSG won the cup. In 2019–20, Di María was integral in the club's Ligue 1 title win and run to their first Champions League final, finishing as the top assist provider in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League. Di María is one of the club's top goalscorers, with 92 goals. Since leaving PSG in 2022, he has joined Italian side Juventus, re-joined Benfica in 2023, and returned to Rosario in 2025, winning the Primera División in his first season back.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights hummed over the Parc des Princes as the clock ticked past ninety minutes. Silence fell briefly across the stadium as Di María stepped up to the ball, twenty-five yards out from goal. The defensive wall stood firm, but he had faced these walls before. He took a breath, struck the leather with his right foot, and watched it curl over the heads of defenders into the top corner. The roar that followed was deafening, a testament to another moment of magic.

Reader's Guide

Di María debuted for Argentina internationally in 2008. Playing for the country's Olympic team at the 2008 Olympic Games, Di María scored the winning goal against Nigeria in the final to win Argentina their second successive Olympic gold medal in football. He has 145 caps for his country, including appearing in ten major tournaments; he featured in four FIFA World Cups for Argentina; helping his country reach the final in 2014 and win its third World Cup in 2022, scoring the second goal in the final. Furthermore, Di María was also part of the Argentina squads that reached four Copa América finals, in 2015, 2016, 2021 and 2024, winning the latter two; he netted the only goal in the 2021 final to win Argentina their first trophy in 28 years. He retired from the national team after winning the 2024 Copa América final.

Did You Know?

• Di María was born on 14 February 1988 in Rosario, Argentina.
• He scored the winning goal in the 2008 Olympic final against Nigeria.
• Di María is Paris Saint-Germain's all-time top assist provider with 112 assists.
• He scored the only goal in the 2021 Copa América final, giving Argentina its first trophy in 28 years.
• Di María won the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina, scoring the second goal in the final.