Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—two of the greatest footballers of all time—have had the privilege of playing alongside each other. One of the most famous players to have shared the field with them is Ángel Di María. With a remarkable career, Di María has scored in Olympic finals, Copa América finals, the Finalissima, and the World Cup final. This year, however, he bid farewell to the Argentina national team but continues to play for Benfica in club football.
In a recent interview with Argentine daily La Nación, Di María opened up on various topics, including the Messi-Ronaldo debate, playing as a left-winger in the 2022 World Cup final, not playing in the 2014 World Cup final, and his future plans in football.
Messi and Ronaldo are both nearing the end of their careers. After their European club stints, they now play for clubs on different continents. Still, the debate over who is the best continues. Many top footballers have been asked to weigh in on the question of who is better between Messi and Ronaldo. La Nación journalist Juan Pablo Varsky asked Di María this same question.
The 36-year-old forward responded, “I’ve always said the same thing—they are the two best footballers in history. But it’s clear that, up until now, Leo (Messi) is the best. Not just because he has won eight Ballon d’Ors, but in every way. Cristiano (Ronaldo) had to work hard for everything he has achieved. He has to go to the gym, practice a lot, and always wants more. But the other (Messi) is different—he was born with a gift from the Creator. To be the best, he doesn’t have to do anything. It looks like he’s playing with his friends. That’s why there’s such a difference between them. Leo can’t be compared to anyone.”
Throughout most of his career, Di María played on the right-wing. However, in the 2022 World Cup final, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni positioned him on the left wing. There had been no prior discussions about changing his position in pre-match training, so when Scaloni instructed him to play on the left during the final against France, Di María was surprised.
In what is regarded as one of the best World Cup finals in history, Di María won a penalty that Messi converted to give Argentina the lead. Di María then scored the second goal himself.
However, in the 2014 World Cup final, Di María was unable to play due to injury. Many blamed his club, Real Madrid, for not letting him play due to his injury at the time. Some even alleged that Real Madrid prevented Di María from playing in the final.
In this interview, Di María clarified the situation. He explained that he was not 100% fit, which is why he decided to give someone else a chance to play. “Alejandro Sabella (Argentina’s coach in 2014) helped and supported me a lot. I wanted to be honest with him. I had pain in the injured area. I did everything I could to recover, but I couldn’t get more than 80 to 90% fit. So, I told the coach that the player who was 100% fit should play. That’s why I was on the bench.”
Di María’s contract with Benfica runs until June next year. While he hasn’t made a definitive statement about retiring from club football, he has expressed interest in coaching after his playing career ends. “I’m taking a coaching course. Since I was 30, I’ve started to see football differently—not just from a player’s perspective, but from other angles as well. Let’s see what happens.”
