Argentina's Angel Di Maria to retire from international football, will hang up his boots after Copa America

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina's star footballer Angel Di Maria has announced that he will soon retire from international football. The 35-year-old said that the Copa America tournament that will be held in the United States next year will be his last tournament for the country.

Di Maria had played in the Argentina-Brazil World Cup qualifier match held at the famous Maracana Stadium in Brazil the other day. Di Maria has made 136 appearances for world champions Argentina since his debut in 2008, playing in four World Cups and scoring in the 2022 final win over France.

"With all the pain in my soul and feeling a lump in my throat, I say goodbye to the most beautiful thing that happened to me in my career. I can't express in words how much the cheering of the fans has filled my soul in this last match, I enjoyed every second with my teammates and friends," he added, referring to his last World Cup qualifier in which Argentina beat Brazil.

It was Di Maria who scored the crucial goal which helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa America final against arch-rivals Brazil. At present, Di Maria is playing for Portuguese club Benfica. He had also played for Real Madrid, Paris St Germain, Juventus and Manchester United.