Argentine winger Angel Di Maria said Sunday’s Copa América triumph over Colombia was the perfect dream to end his national team career. A 1-0 victory after extra time secured a third successive title for the Albiceleste, following their 2021 World Cup win and World Cup triumph the following year. The 36-year-old winger announced in November that he would retire from international duties after the tournament. “I dreamed, that’s why I said it was the last Copa América and it ended here. I dreamed that I would reach the final, I dreamed that I would win, that I would retire like this,” he said.
Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni removed Di Maria in the final minutes of extra time, guaranteeing a great farewell for the team’s fans that left their eyes emotional.
“I have so many beautiful feelings… I am eternally grateful to this generation, they gave me everything, they made me achieve what I wanted so much, and today I am leaving like this, what better than that?” he said.
Di Maria was part of a generation with Lionel Messi who won the Olympics in 2008, but then fought for the silver medal, losing the final stages of the tournaments, to the country’s frustration.
But the ‘Triple Crown’, which also gives the Argentine a record 16th World Cup, confirms the position of Lionel Scaloni’s team among the greats of South American football.
“It seems easy, but it is very difficult. I know because I also lived ten, 11 years on the other side, fighting for it”, said the Benfica winger.
“It’s not easy to get to the finals and win them. And now it’s happening, it’s like this, at some point this had to happen and I wish I could have won one with the previous group too, we deserved it. too, but we kept insisting, we kept fighting and these guys gave me everything,” she said.
Di Maria scored the gold medal-winning goal in Beijing and also scored the winning goal in the 1-0 victory over Brazil in the 2021 World Cup final.
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