World Cup winner Ángel Di María, who enjoyed a stellar career at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, is returning to Argentine football to play for Rosario Central, the club where he began his professional journey, at the age of 37.
“Our story together still has more pages to be written,” Central posted on social media on Thursday, accompanied by a video showing Di María in the shirt of the Canalla. “To fly, we’ll need your wings. Welcome home, Ángel – we’ve been waiting for you,” the post added.
Born in February 1988 in Rosario, Di María was a key figure in Argentina’s World Cup-winning squad in Qatar 2022. He also won two Copa América titles (Brazil 2021 and the USA 2024) and an Olympic gold medal in Beijing 2008 with the Albiceleste.
Nicknamed “Fideo,” Di María began his career at Rosario Central in 2005, and two seasons later left for an 18-year stint in Europe. His career included spells at Benfica, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, as well as a return to Benfica, from where he now returns home.
The player shared Rosario Central’s announcement on his Instagram account, reacting with heart emojis in blue and yellow – the club’s colours.
Di María’s return to Rosario comes in a sensitive context – one year ago the winger received threatening messages directed at his family in the city, located in Santa Fe Province.
At the time, Rosario Central’s president, Gonzalo Belloso, explained: “[Di María] told us there were no guarantees for the safety of himself or his family. He said he didn’t feel safe and couldn’t come back to the club. It hurt us deeply, but we respected his decision.”
However, shortly after, the provincial government of Santa Fe stated that “protocols are in place to ensure the safety of public figures.”
In this context, Di María has now made the decision to return to Rosario Central, turning down financially lucrative offers from Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.
Di María bid an emotional farewell to Benfica following last week’s defeat to Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Cup final.
He joins a growing list of World Cup winners returning to domestic football, including Germán Pezzella, Marcos Acuña, and Gonzalo Montiel – all now at River Plate.
– TIMES/AFP
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