‘Still one of the best’: Di Maria urges Messi to not retire after Argentina’s FIFA WC heartbreak
New Delhi: Former Argentina winger Angel Di Maria has urged not to retire from international football after his team’s heartbreaking defeat in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final. Messi-led Argentina lost to Spain 1-0 in the final to miss out on their second successive title.
The defeat shattered Messi’s dream of leading Argentina to a successful title defence while sparking a debate regarding his future in international football. Messi himself hinted ahead of the final that the match could be his last appearance for Argentina in the tournament.
Amid speculation over his future, Di Maria has urged Messi not to quit international football. The former Argentina winger, who scored in the 2022 World Cup final against France, believes Messi is still one of the best players in the world and has many years left in him as a player.
“I think he has many years of playing and success ahead of him. At the age of thirty-nine he has proven he is still one of the best players in history, and there are no limits to his abilities,” Di Maria told TyC Sports.
The Argentine legend also urged head coach Lionel Scaloni not to step down after his team’s defeat in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. Scaloni guided Argentina to glory in the FIFA World Cup 2022 and helped them reach the final of the tournament this year.
“He will know what he wants, but I hope he stays. There is a good generation of young players seeking glory, and I hope he continues for everyone’s benefit,” said Di Maria.
Lionel Messi played instrumental role in Argentina’s run to final
Messi played a key role in helping Argentina reach their second consecutive FIFA World Cup final this year. The legendary forward scored eight goals and racked up four assists throughout the tournament to help his team make it to the summit clash. However, Messi failed to score in the final as Argentina went 1-0 down against Spain after an injury-time winner from Ferran Torres.
Messi has scored 21 goals and produced 12 assists for Argentina in six editions of the FIFA World Cup in his career so far. He is the second-highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history, behind France’s Kylian Mbappe, who has 22 goals to his name in just three editions.