Messi’s close friend and good partner at the Argentina national team, Angel Di Maria has just confirmed that he will retire from international football.

On his personal Instagram page, striker Angel Di Maria confirmed that he will bid farewell to Messi and his teammates in the Argentina national team after Copa America 2024. The Benfica player debuted at La Albiceleste in 2008 and has won every title with him. Teams like Copa America, Olympic gold medals and the pinnacle is the 2022 World Cup.

Angel Di Maria announced he will retire from the Argentina national team after Copa America (photo: Getty)

“Copa America will be the last time I wear the Argentina shirt, with all the pain in my soul and the feeling of a lump in my throat, I say goodbye to the most beautiful thing that has happened to me in my career. Wear it, sweat it out and enjoy it with pride.

Thanks to the fans, thanks to our families, thanks to our friends and teammates, we continue to make history.” Di Maria expressed.

After 15 years playing for Argentina, Di Maria has made 136 appearances and scored 29 goals. He is known as the guardian angel of both La Albiceleste and Messi.

Di Maria is known as the Guardian Angel of Messi and the entire Argentina national team (photo: Getty)

The reason is because Di Maria always shines in big matches when he scored in the 2008 Olympic final, the 2021 Copa America final and the 2022 World Cup final. Coach Lionel Scaloni personally declared that Di Maria deserved recognized like Messi, Diego Maradona and Mario Kempes for their contributions to the national team.

After the last national team reunion of 2023, Di Maria will return to focus on the rest of the season with Benfica. After that, he will head to the 2024 Copa America campaign with Argentina, where Messi and his teammates aim to defend the championship.