Ángel Di María, one of the most gifted and versatile wingers of this era, has enjoyed a glittering career at club level and at the international level. Born in Argentina, Di María has made history as one of the cornerstone players in all of European football. He has achieved his fame by virtue of his assists, crucial goals, and major trophies won. This is a brief exploration of his way of life, achievements, and records put into perspective by way of time in this article.
Life and Early Career
Ángel Di María was born on February 14, 1988, in Rosario, Argentina. Starting at the local club, Rosario Central, Di María went on to Boca Juniors in the Argentine capital, and from there to Portugal and Benfica in 2007, where he really began to show himself to everyone as a fantastic winger. With exceptional dribbling, a lot of speed, and vision to see the field, it was only a matter of time before the biggest clubs in Europe took notice of Di María.
Benfica (2007-2010): With his standout performances for Benfica, Di María developed a reputation among the most exciting young talents in European football. Through the three seasons he played in Portugal, Di María aided the club in winning several trophies, including the Primeira Liga title and the Taca de Portugal. He scored multiple key goals and provided many assists, thus attracting the attention of top clubs all over Europe.
Real Madrid (2010-2014): In the summer of 2010, Di María made a high-profile transfer to Real Madrid for a fee in the region of €25 million-a transfer that was among the largest in club history at the time. Over the next four years, Di María saw himself showing where he belonged through his contribution to the club’s panache: his agility, dribbling and chance creation for his teammates marked his authentic stature. During his time at Real Madrid, his contributions were goal: 36 assists: 85.
There was a key role played by Di María during the 2014 UEFA Champions League, providing blistering assists, including one to Cristiano Ronaldo in the final against Atlético Madrid. He was also part of the team that won the Copa del Rey and the La Liga title during his tenure in Madrid.
Manchester United (2014-2015): After leaving Real Madrid in 2014, Di María signed with Manchester United in a then British-record transfer worth €75 million. His time in Manchester was brief and somewhat disappointing, but his contributions of 4 goals and 12 assists in just 32 appearances was something that must be mentioned. It must be admitted his beginnings in England didn’t go as one would have imagined, but his talent would not be denied. He soon got a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.
Paris Saint-Germain (2015-2023): Di María moved to Париж-Грэм, where his career turned another highly notable corner beginning in 2015. In Di María’s first season with PSG, he became an integral part of the attacking group alongside prominent stars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappé. In 7 years at the French club, Di María collected various domestic titles, such as Ligue 1 and Coupe de France championships. The statistics that Di María has at PSG are terrific:
Goals: 93
Assists: 118
One of these achievements during the UEFA Champions League campaign in which Di María was very important helped push PSG to the finals in 2020, where it eventually lost to Bayern Munich.
Juventus (2022-present): Di María came to Juventus following his departure from PSG in 2022, and he continues to play in Serie A. Even at age 34, his ability to ignite creativity and assists remained evident, and he contributed a good deal of volume to Juventus’ offensive unit. His ability raised calm and confidence at the Italian club with his technique and experience.
International Career with Argentina
Di María’s international career with the Argentine national team had been one of the set pieces of his career. He made his debut with Argentina in 2008, and over the years has become one of the most consequential players for the Albiceleste.
In everything Di María did, all his disappointments were erased with Dios. In 2021, during the Copa América final against Brazil, his contested goal, an ingenious chip over the Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson, brought Argentina its first major international title since 1993 and ended a long famine for the national team. It was a provide large delight for Di María, who had been actually there for a number of other near-misses with the national team during the years.
Competing in various World Cups, his finest performance was during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, when he scored critical goals against various opponents and helped Argentina reach the final before ultimately falling to Germany. He capped the thrill of this goal with a similar one in the final against France in the 2022 World Cup, which enabled Argentina to achieve its third World Cup title in overtime.
Trophies and Achievements
Throughout his career, Di María has won a multitude of awards in individual and team categories. Some of his most notable are:
Club Trophies:
La Liga (2012-13) with Real Madrid
UEFA Champions League (2014) with Real Madrid
Copa del Rey (2011-12) with Real Madrid
Primeira Liga (2009-10) with Benfica
Ligue 1 (multiple years) with PSG
Coupe de France (multiple years) with PSG
Trophée des Champions with PSG
International Trophies:
Copa América (2021) with Argentina
Olympic Gold Medal (2008) with Argentina
FIFA World Cup (2022) with Argentina
FIFA U-20 World Cup (2007) with Argentina
Records and Milestones
Di María’s career has been punctuated by a multitude of records and milestones, some of the most commendable ones being:
Most Assists in Ligue 1 History: Di María holds the record for most assists in one Ligue 1 season and is one of the all-time assist providers in the league.
More than 200 Assists: Across his career, Di María has amassed over 200 assists in competitive play, a picture of his playmaking genius.
World Cup Finals: One of the handfuls to have scored in a Word Cup finals match, he did this in 2022 against the Frenchmen.
Conclusion
Angél Di María has had a phenomenal career, one defined by flashes of brilliance, remarkable consistency, and an ability to perform on the biggest stages. He has been extremely influential on his teams as both a goal-scorer and an assist provider. Di María shines like a beacon through all of his undertakings for Real Madrid, PSG, and Juventus on the club level and Argentina in their international competitions. Time and again, he has shown his class as one of the best players of his generation. His phenomenal ability to change the entire game with an assist, cross, or magical strike would mean he would be counted among modern-day legends.
