Ángel Di María's Belief in Messi and Scaloni's Future
Ángel Di María had just walked off after a 2-1 defeat with Rosario Central, but his mind was hundreds of kilometres away, fixed on the man who has defined an era for Argentina.
Even as Lionel Messi edges towards 40, Di María is convinced the story is not over.
“Leo has to keep going as long as he wants,” he said, the words cutting through the gloom of a domestic loss. For Di María, there is no debate, no gentle winding down, no graceful fade. “I think he can continue for many more years. At 39, he's shown that he's one of the best and that he can continue to be one of the best in history. He has no ceiling, there's nothing more for him.”
The message lands at a delicate moment for Argentina. The 2026 World Cup ended in heartbreak and heavy emotion, not least after Leandro Paredes revealed that Messi had viewed the final as his farewell to the international stage. The country has been bracing itself for life after its greatest ever player.
Di María, though, refuses to close that chapter. For him, Messi still decides when the book ends.
Scaloni at the heart of a golden age
The winger did not stop at Messi. His plea stretched to the touchline as well.
“Scaloni is the leader of the national team, I hope he stays for everyone's sake,” Di María insisted, making it clear that the coach’s future matters almost as much as the captain’s.
Lionel Scaloni has overseen a period Argentina fans scarcely dared to imagine. A World Cup. Two Copa Américas. The Finalissima. Four major trophies that have redefined a generation and washed away the scars of so many near-misses.
Di María sees Scaloni as the anchor for what comes next, not just the architect of what has already been built.
“He's developing a good generation of young players who are coming through now, and every little bit helps. I hope he stays; it's his decision. Scaloni, better than anyone, knows what he wants, but obviously, as an Argentine, I'd like him to continue.”
There was no mistaking the subtext: Argentina stand at a crossroads. Lose Messi and Scaloni in quick succession and the transition becomes a cliff edge. Keep at least one, ideally both, and the bridge to the next wave looks far more secure.
A team that already belongs to history
As he spoke, Di María drifted back over the road they had travelled together. Titles, scars, flights home with medals and with tears. A group that had carried a nation’s weight and, crucially, delivered.
“They deserve more than just applause for everything they've achieved and have continued to achieve,” he said of his teammates, a line that felt less like praise and more like a verdict.
Then came the detail that revealed how deeply those moments have marked him.
“Beating England was the culmination of all that. For me, the World Cup ended there, and we gave the country its greatest joy, and that's the most beautiful thing for everyone.”
For Di María, that victory crystallised the journey. Whatever followed, that night had already carved this Argentina side into football’s pantheon. The final result in 2026 hurt, but it did not erase what came before.
Suffering, pride and what comes next
Di María did not pretend the tournament had been easy to watch from his vantage point. Distance does not soften tension; it often sharpens it.
“I suffered through every match,” he admitted. The nerves, the helplessness, the sense of wanting to be out there again but knowing his own role had changed.
Yet he saw something in the group that reassured him about the future, with or without him on the pitch.
“In the end they drew on their inner strength and that's what led to victories. Finals are finals; sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. This time it wasn't our turn, but I think the lads did the national team proud.”
That line hung in the air. No excuses. No rewriting of what happened. Just recognition that this Argentina, forged under Scaloni and led by Messi, has already secured its place.
Now comes the hard part. Can the captain be persuaded to stretch his legend a little further? Will the coach choose to guide another generation through the fire?
Di María has made his stance unmistakable. For him, Argentina’s greatest era does not have to be over yet.
