Ángel Di María
Updated: Wikipedia source
Ángel Fabián Di María (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈaŋxel faˈβjan di maˈɾia]; born 14 February 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Argentine Primera División club Rosario Central. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Argentine players of all time, Di María is known for his dribbling ability, playmaking, rapid pace and agility. He is the all-time Argentine top assist provider in the UEFA Champions League (41), ranking second overall. Di María began his career with Rosario Central but first came into prominence at Benfica after signing for the club in 2007, aged 19. He helped Benfica win the Primeira Liga, the club's first league title in five years, and two Taça da Liga titles. In 2010, Di María moved to Spanish club Real Madrid in a transfer worth €25 million, where he won a 2011–12 La Liga title and the 2013–14 Champions League. He signed for Manchester United in 2014 in a then-British record deal worth £59.7 million (€75.6 million) but left a year later to join Paris Saint-Germain. During his time in England, Di María was selected in the FIFPRO Men's World 11 in 2014. In France, Di María won five league titles, five Coupe de France, and four Coupe de la Ligue, which includes three domestic quadruples, and helped the club reach its first Champions League final in 2020. He is also the club's ninth-highest goalscorer and all-time leader in assists. He joined Italian side Juventus for free in the summer of 2022, before returning to Benfica in 2023. Di María debuted for Argentina internationally in 2007, playing for the under-20 team; with the side, he won the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, held in Canada. Playing for the country's Olympic team at the 2008 Olympic Games, Di María scored the winning goal against Nigeria in the final to win Argentina their second successive Olympic gold medals in football. He made his senior debut for Argentina the same year, in 2008, at the age of 20, and went on to earn 145 caps, including appearing in ten major tournaments; he featured in four FIFA World Cups for Argentina; helping his country reach the final in 2014 and win its third World Cup in 2022, the first in 36 years, scoring the second goal in the final. Furthermore, Di María was also part of the Argentina squads that reached four Copa América finals, in 2015, 2016, 2021 and 2024, winning the latter two; he netted the only goal in the 2021 final to win Argentina their first trophy in 28 years. He retired from the national team after winning the 2024 Copa América final.