Angel Di María Rosario Central return is finally real. On Monday, a tearful Di María was introduced as Rosario Central’s latest signing—18 years after he first left the club.
The 37-year-old World Cup winner had always dreamed of coming back to his roots. “Coming home after so long is something very special. It was what I wanted,” Di María said. “To play for Central again.”
He admitted the experience felt surreal. “I couldn’t believe it when I was training today. It felt like it was the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed my first training session.”
Though Angel Di María had always hoped to return, he delayed his comeback due to past death threats from drug gangs. Rosario, his hometown located 300 kilometers north of Buenos Aires, is plagued by violent crime and drug trafficking rivalries.
Di María first joined Rosario Central at the age of four and made his professional debut in 2005 at just 17 years old. After shining in the 2007 U-17 World Cup, he moved to Benfica.
His illustrious career took him to some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Juventus, PSG, and Benfica again. He collected nearly 30 major trophies and scored in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup final victory over France. He also won two Copa Americas.
Most recently, Di María featured for Benfica in the Club World Cup, where he scored three goals before the team was eliminated by Chelsea in the round of 16.
Despite being in the final stage of his career, Di María is not ready to say goodbye. “Right now, I’m not thinking about retirement,” he said. “I’m thinking about playing, about enjoying myself. About continuing at whatever level I’ve been doing.”
For Di María, the move is about more than football—it’s about fulfilling a lifelong goal. “Being a champion with Central is the only thing I’m missing,” he added, making it clear he still has one last dream to chase.
