The World Cup and Copa America-winning star has returned to Argentina in the final chapter of his career — back to the very club where, at just four years old, he took his first steps on the path to his dreams.
Rosario Central’s social media pages shared a 1 minute 10 second video with the caption, “Together, we have more pages left to write in our history. Welcome home…” That “together” refers to Rosario Central and Ángel Di María. The video’s main figure is none other than Di María himself. As his career nears its end, the World Cup hero is returning to where it all began.
At just four years old, he stepped into this club with tiny feet — the club where he learned football, wove his dreams, and grew as a player. It’s from this very club that he set off on his journey toward global glory. Now, in the twilight of his career, Di María has come back to that same place.
The 37-year-old winger will play for his hometown club. Alongside the video, Rosario Central posted pictures of Di María signing his contract, captioned: “One paper, one signature… where it all started, starting once again…”
Clearly, Di María’s return has stirred deep emotions at the club. After joining the academy and youth teams here, he made his professional debut with Rosario Central at 17. He spent two years before moving in 2007 to Portugal’s Benfica. The chapters that followed are well-known — Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG, Juventus — he shone in Europe’s top leagues with elite teams.
Along the way, he won the World Cup, two Copa America titles, and the Finalissima with Argentina, playing a key role in all those successes.
In 2023, he returned to Benfica again, spending two years there before announcing his departure just weeks ago. Over 18 years in Europe, Di María won 30 trophies — including six with Real Madrid (La Liga, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup among them) and 19 with PSG (five league titles and more).
Now, after that glorious era, he’s back home in his own city.
There was a chance he’d return to Rosario last year, but rising drug-related violence and threats to his family made him reconsider.
Currently, Rosario Central leads Group B in the Argentine Primera Division, having played 16 matches. Di María, however, won’t join the club immediately. He’ll first play the Club World Cup with Benfica before starting this new chapter.
