Angel di Maria

Angel Di Maria is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger for the Argentina national team and Serie A side Juventus. Known for his trickery, rapid pace, and agility, Di María is considered to be one of the greatest Argentine players of all time.

Early Life

Angel Di Maria was born on February 14, 1988, in Rosario, Argentina. He was the youngest of three children and grew up in a working-class family. As a child, Di Maria was passionate about football and would often play with his friends in the streets and local parks. He began his youth football career at the age of 4 with the local club Torito, before joining the youth academy of Rosario Central.

Di Maria was discovered by talent scouts from the Portuguese club Benfica while playing for Rosario Central's youth team. He moved to Portugal in 2007 to join Benfica's academy. Despite facing challenges with the language and culture, Di Maria quickly adapted to life in Portugal and began to excel on the football pitch.

Club Career

Di Maria made his professional debut for Rosario Central in 2005 at the age of 17. He quickly established himself as one of the team's key players, helping them to reach the final of the Copa Libertadores in 2006.

In 2007, Di Maria signed for Portuguese club Benfica, where he spent three seasons. During his time at Benfica, he won the Portuguese league title and was named the league's Breakthrough Player of the Year in his first season.

Di Maria was signed by Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2010 for a reported fee of €25 million. He spent four seasons at Real Madrid, helping them to win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League in 2014.

In 2014, Di Maria was signed by English club Manchester United for a British record fee of £59.7 million. However, he struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and was sold to Paris Saint-Germain after just one season. He only scored four goals in 32 appearances during his tenure in Manchester.

He joined PSG ahead of the 2015-16 season for around £44 million, signing a four-year contract. He enjoyed a successful tenure in Paris, becoming one of the team's key players, winning numerous domestic titles, and reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2020. He scored 92 goals in 295 appearances in all competitions for the club.

On 8 July 2022, Di María joined Juventus as a free agent after signing an annual contract. He provided a goal and an assist on his debut in Serie A, however, he sustained an injury in the second half.

International Career

Di Maria made his debut for the Argentina national team in 2008, at the age of 20, in a friendly match against Paraguay. He was a key player in the Argentina team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He scored the opening goal in the final against Nigeria.

In the 2014 World Cup, Di Maria played a crucial role in helping Argentina reach the final, scoring the winning goal in the quarterfinal against Switzerland. However, he missed the final due to an injury. Argentina went on to lose the final 1-0 to Germany.

In the 2015 Copa America, Di Maria was named the Player of the Tournament, helping Argentina to reach the final, where they lost to Chile on penalties. He also featured in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, scoring a long-range goal against France in a 4–3 defeat which saw Argentina eliminated from the World Cup in the Round of 16.

His fortunes turned around under manager Lionel Scaloni in the 2021 Copa America. In the final, against Brazil, Di Maria scored the only goal of the game to win Argentina their first trophy since 1993. He won another trophy a year later, scoring Argentina’s second goal in a 3-0 victory over Italy in the 2022 Finalissima.

He also won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, playing an integral role for Argentina. In the final, against France, he won his team a penalty and scored a goal to help his side to bring home the grand prize.

He has scored 28 goals in 129 appearances for Argentina.

Records

• He has the most assists (18) in a single UEFA Champions League season, which he achieved with Real Madrid in the 2013-14 season.

• Di Maria has the most assists (6) in a single Copa America tournament, which he achieved in the 2015 edition.

• He is the only Argentine player to have scored in four different Copa America tournaments (2011, 2015, 2019, and 2021).

• Di Maria is the second most-capped player for the Argentina national team, behind Lionel Messi, with over 125 appearances.

Awards and Achievements

Personal Life

Di Maria is known for his charity work, especially in his hometown of Rosario. He has donated money and resources to several organizations that work for the betterment of underprivileged children.

He is an avid fan of golf and is often seen playing the sport in his free time. He is also a fan of Argentinean music and enjoys listening to artists such as Rodrigo and Abel Pintos.

In 2014, Di Maria was charged with tax fraud by Spanish authorities. He was accused of evading taxes on image rights during his time at Real Madrid. He later pleaded guilty and paid a fine of €1.3 million to settle the case.

Net Worth

As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be around $18 million.

Family

Di Maria was born in Rosario, Argentina to Miguel and Diana Di Maria. He has two younger brothers named Rodrigo and Matias. His father was a truck driver, and his mother worked as a cleaner.

Wife

Di Maria's wife is Jorgelina Cardoso, and the couple got married in 2011 after dating for several years. They have two daughters together named Mia and Pia.

Houses

When Di Maria was playing for Real Madrid, he owned a luxurious villa in the La Finca neighborhood of Madrid. The villa had five bedrooms, a swimming pool, a private gym, and a large garden.

During his time playing for Manchester United, Di Maria lived in a luxury apartment in the city center. The apartment had four bedrooms, a balcony with views of the city, and a gym.

Di Maria owns a beautiful mansion in the Parisian suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine. The mansion has six bedrooms, a large garden, a swimming pool, and a private cinema.