Argentina winger Angel Di Maria expressed his delight over Sunday's Copa America victory against Colombia, calling it the ideal culmination of his national team career. The Albiceleste secured their third consecutive major title with a 1-0 win in extra time, following their 2021 Copa win and the subsequent World Cup triumph. Di Maria, 36, had previously announced his retirement from international football after this tournament.
"I envisioned it, which is why I declared it my last Copa America, and it concluded here. I imagined reaching the final, winning it, and retiring in this manner," Di Maria recounted. Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni substituted Di Maria in the closing moments of extra time, allowing him to receive a heartfelt send-off from the fans, visibly touching the winger.
"I am filled with so many wonderful emotions... I am eternally thankful to this generation, they provided me with everything, enabling me to achieve my desires, and now I depart in this manner, what could be better?" he reflected. Di Maria, who was part of a generation with Lionel Messi that won the 2008 Olympics but faced struggles for trophies thereafter, now celebrates the 'Triple Crown', which also marks Argentina's record 16th Copa title, cementing Scaloni's team's status among South American football's elite.
"It appears straightforward, yet it is exceedingly challenging. I understand this well, having experienced it for ten to eleven years, striving for success," the Benfica winger noted. "It's not simple to reach and win finals. And now it's occurring, it's inevitable at some point, and I wish I could have won one with the previous group as well, we deserved it too, but we persisted, fought, and these teammates have given me everything," he added. Di Maria scored the decisive goal in the Beijing Olympics gold medal match and also netted the winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Brazil in the 2021 Copa final.
