Angel Di Maria Pays Emotional Tribute to Lionel Messi After His International Retirement
- Angel Di Maria publicly responded after Lionel Messi confirmed he had played his last game for the Argentina national team
- Messi said he made the decision to retire from international football two days after Argentina lost the 2026 FIFA World Cup final
- Di Maria, widely regarded as Messi's most consequential international teammate, paid tribute to the 39-year-old captain
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Angel Di Maria has written a heartfelt tribute to Lionel Messi following the Argentina captain's confirmation that his international career is over.
Messi's future with the national team had been in question since Argentina fell to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on July 19, 2026.
Source: Getty Images
The Inter Miami forward said little publicly in the days that followed before finally announcing that he had retired from international duty.
In his statement, Messi revealed he had reached that decision just two days after the final, and that the death of his father deepened his resolve to walk away.
Di Maria's pays tribute to Messi
Di Maria, one of Messi's closest allies throughout their years together in the blue and white shirt, did not hold back in his response to the news.
The former Paris Saint-Germain winger addressed the 39-year-old directly in a written message that laid bare the depth of their shared journey.
“We will remain grateful to you for our entire lives because you are Argentine, and because you raised the name of Argentina to the top of the world,” Di Maria wrote.
“And because you chose to be Argentine at a time when you could have easily chosen another country. Thank you, Captain. Thank you for everything. The best in history.”
That reference to Messi's choice of nationality carries particular weight. According to The Telegraph, Spain attempted to persuade a young Messi to represent La Roja at international level, but he turned them down and committed to Argentina instead.
Di Maria is broadly considered the most influential international teammate Messi ever had. The former PSG forward scored decisive goals across three of Argentina's most celebrated victories on the world stage, netting in the 2008 Olympic Games final against Nigeria, the 2021 Copa America final against Brazil, and the 2022 FIFA World Cup final against France, as noted by ESPN.
Together, the two players formed the backbone of an Argentina side that eventually conquered every major honour available to them, capping a golden era for South American football.
Di Maria sends message to Messi
Legit.ng previously reported that Angel Di Maria sent a message to Lionel Messi regarding his international future after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
His friend and captain refused to heed it and has now joined him in the ex-internationals group, ending an era for Argentina after Nicolas Otamendi also retired.
Source: Legit.ng
