2026 World Cup: I won’t play again – Di Maria rejects calls to join Messi, Ronaldo

Argentina legendary player, Angel Di Maria has said he won’t be joining Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup this year.

The 37-year-old standout player has been a key member of the national team for many years, experiencing every moment alongside his friend Messi.

Di Maria did an interview with AS and talked about his future plans.

He said he feels satisfied with all the things he has done in his career.

He said he still wants to play in the World Cup, but he knows his time is up because he has already achieved everything he wanted.

He said he wanted to retire internationally in 2022 but was talked into staying until the Copa America in 2024.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I feel like I’ve finished a cycle. I’ve done all the things I set out to do, a new group of young people is now taking over, and I feel like it’s finally time to step back,” he said.

“After the Qatar World Cup, I had already decided, and the team persuaded me to play in the final Copa América. It ended just like a dream, with us winning the championship, and it was my moment. Now it’s someone else’s turn”, he said.

Angel Di Maria was an important player for the Argentina national team for many years, and he won a medal in every competition he took part in.

The ex-Real Madrid player got Olympic gold with Lionel Messi in 2008 and then won the Copa America in 2021.

He later won the Finalissima the next year, then took home the World Cup title in 2022 and won another Copa America in 2024.

Now in the later part of his career, the former Manchester United player has turned down invitations to join other experienced players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, and Luka Modric at the World Cup this year.

He will stay in his country, just like he has been doing since he retired in 2024.