Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Mario Kempes, Ubaldo Fillol and Daniel Passarella. Diego, Leo and Mario as the big stars of the three stars. The “Pato” because his miraculous saves made him unique and the “Kaiser” because if the gaze, especially the River Plate one, manages not to mix up his presidential management, he is a defender whose goals and personality transformed him into the only Argentine two-time champion of the world. The quintet, beyond the subjective tastes, seems immaculate and immovable beyond being a playful and subjective exercise.
Thinking about a sixth element to add to the Olympus of the gods of the Argentine national team implies completing absolutely all the items on the form to leave no doubt and furthermore, imagining it with a contemporary footballer seems more permeable to doubt. Legend and the passage of time are more likely to legitimize what is missed and, from that nostalgia, elevate it to a higher category.
It was not necessary to confirm it with a couple of friendly matches of little importance, but what Ángel Di María generates in the twilight of his cycle with the light blue and white, gives him recognition that is as deserved as it is timely. The admiration of his teammates, the respect of the coaching staff and his performance on the field distinguish him from the rest. There is no need to wait a handful of months after his retirement to confirm what we all know. He is the “earthly” Messi of this team, the different one of flesh and blood and His contribution over more than fifteen years makes him unique in the species.
The man from Rosario was youth world champion in Canada 2007, Olympic champion in Beijing 2008, American champion in 2021, and Intercontinental and world champion in Qatar 2022. That data on his resume is already impressive, but in addition to the collective achievement, there is his individual contribution. That is where his figure rises to the top like no other throughout history. Di María scored the goal in the final against Nigeria to obtain the gold medal, the shot against Ederson in the Maracaná to end almost thirty years of drought, he scored with a distinguished finish ridiculing Donnarumma in the “Finalísima” and us made people excited as the last link in the most fascinating play of the World Cup to beat Lloris and complete a work of art that combined precision, speed and forcefulness.
Their numbers and milestones do not allow any discussion, but they do not say everything either. They omit a fundamental aspect in “Fideo’s” career. His sporting success was built on the basis of indestructible mental strength, which helped him overcome the time of consecutive injuries that appeared at the time of other big events. Without looking for it, became an example of perseverance and phenomenal improvement. As comedy is tragedy plus time, it is now easy to remember when the pressure and his explosive movements became a lethal combo that marginalized him from the final matches. Those were times when her body and his head became his worst rival. Di María also won the battle against that invisible enemy by a landslide, and that silent victory was key to being able to enjoy all the other more obvious ones.
The analysis is eloquent and only concerns his participation in the national team, because his image as an elite footballer is even greater when his career in the best teams in the best leagues in the world is reviewed. Real Madrid, Juventus, PSG and Benfica enjoyed his talent, and although his time at Manchester United did not come close to what was expected, he also discovered what it was like to be part of the Premier League. They do not add up to the “selected” comparison, but they describe the assessment that the football world made of his enormous talent.
Great surnames that made the history of the Argentine national team an album full of extraordinary chapters, even without having obtained titles, they can rise to a historical top ten of glories dressed in light blue and white, but from a place as personal as it is fair, these lines They place Ángel Di María as the missing link between the five “untouchables” and the rest. With just a handful of performances left, his art is worth recognition at a time when his magic remains full and contemporary.
By name and by numbers, he is the sixth of Olympus.