Angel Di Maria will make an emotional return to his former team almost 20 years after he made his professional debut in Argentina.
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Di Maria to return to Rosario CentralWill leave Benfica after Club World CupHad spells at Real Madrid, Man Utd and PSGFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Former Argentina international Di Maria will leave Benfica after the Club World Cup to complete an emotional return to boyhood club Rosario Central. The 37-year-old has played in Portugal for the past two seasons, having previously wowed crowds during stints with Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, though his brief foray into the Premier League with Manchester United was unsuccessful.
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The news sent fans in Argentina into a frenzy as one of the country's modern greats announced his return with an emotional video with the caption: "Our story still has more pages to be written."
WHAT BENFICA SAID
A statement from Benfica reads: "Benfica informs that the athlete Angel Di MarÃa will compete in the Club World Cup for Benfica, later transferring, once the competition is over, to Club Atletico Rosario Central, in Argentina, his training club.
"Participation in the first FIFA Club World Cup represents a special and symbolic moment for both Di MarÃa and Sport Lisboa e Benfica, marking the epilogue of an extraordinary and remarkable journey between the player and the club."
DID YOU KNOW?
Di Maria also had a long and distinguished international career with Argentina, helping them win two Copa America titles and the 2022 World Cup, where he scored in the final against France. He announced his retirement from the national team last year, with only Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano managing more than his 145 caps.