ANGEL DI MARIA HINTS ON INTERNATIONAL RETIREMENT-‘PROBABLY MY LAST MATCH WITH THIS SHIRT IN ARGENTINA’.
Angel Di Maria may have played his last game for the Argentina national team on home soil. The 34-year-old PSG midfielder took to social media after his side’s win against Venezuela to thank fans for their support, adding that it was “probably my last match with this shirt in Argentina”. The statement comes in the wake of Lionel Messi also casting doubt on his international future.
Angel Di Maria has said that Argentina’s World Cup qualifying win against Venezuela on Friday may have been his last match for the national team on home soil.
The 34-year-old PSG star scored the second goal in his side’s 3-0 win at La Bombonera, but said afterwards that the game may be his last in the national shirt in Argentina.
“I’m just going to say thank you for the enormous love received,” he wrote. “I always dreamed of everything I experienced on this beautiful night.
“It was probably my last match with this shirt in Argentina. And to be able to say that it was a wonderful night is an understatement.
“Thank you, thank you and a thousand times thank you. Now to congratulate the whole team for the incredible match that was played. A perfect match from all. We continue growing and dreaming together. Let’s go Argentina!”
La Albiceleste have already qualified for the World Cup but face matches away to Ecuador and Brazil to finish off their campaign ahead of the Qatar showpiece in late November and early December.
FIFA have set aside two windows for matches to be arranged before the World Cup; they are 30 May to 14 June and 19-27 September.
Argentina are due to play Italy at Wembley on June 1 in the ‘Finalissima’ – a match between the winners of the Copa America and the Euros – and their re-arranged qualifier against Brazil, which is an away game, has yet to be given a fixed date, meaning the chances of Di Maria appearing before a home crowd ahead of the World Cup look slim.
Thus, if as hinted in his social post, Di Maria intends on retiring after the World Cup, he may very well have played his last game in blue and white on home turf.
Di Maria’s post comes in the wake of Lionel Messi also casting doubt on his future.
Messi said after the Venezuela win that he “doesn’t know” what he will do after the World Cup.
Asked to clarify whether he would continue after the blue-riband event later in the year, Messi was non-committal.
“I don’t know, the truth is I don’t know. I think about what is coming, which is close, Ecuador [on Tuesday]. The preparation matches in June and September.
Argentina are some four points shy of Brazil ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Estadio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo to face Ecuador.
Ecuador and Uruguay have – alongside Brazil and Argentina – confirmed their spots at Qatar 2022, with Peru, Colombia and Chile all competing for fifth spot and a place in an inter-confederation play-off where they will face either Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq or Lebanon.
March 29 – when Peru take on Paraguay, Colombia face Venezuela and Chile go up against Uruguay – marks the end of CONMEBOL qualifying for all but Brazil and Argentina, who are set to face each other on a yet-to-be-determined date after it was ruled that their abandoned qualifier from September would be replayed.
