Very few players get to script their own ending in front of a home crowd and then quietly un-retire for club football. Ángel Di María has spent two years doing exactly that: a World Cup winner’s farewell in 2024, a return to Rosario Central in 2025, and an open door that keeps the 2026 World Cup question alive. Here’s what’s confirmed, what’s still unclear, and what his next move actually depends on.

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Age: 38 (born 14 Feb 1988) ·
Current club: Rosario Central ·
Position: Right winger / attacking midfielder ·
International titles: World Cup 2022; Copa América 2021, 2024 ·
International status: Retired from Argentina (2024)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
4What’s next
  • The next signal to watch: Argentina’s pre-World Cup squad lists and whether coach Lionel Scaloni opens the door.

Six facts, one pattern: even at 38, the club that discovered him is the club that kept him.

The facts below show how his career stats and personal details align with his current situation.

Attribute Value Source
Identity Ángel Fabián Di María · born 14 February 1988 in Rosario, Argentina The City Celeb (biography site)
Height / Position 1.78 m / right winger Transfermarkt (player database)
Current club CA Rosario Central Transfermarkt (player database)
International status Retired after Copa América 2024 Hindustan Times (news outlet)
Contract status Last extended on 29 June 2026 Transfermarkt (player database)
Nickname El Fideo (“The Noodle”) Lifestyle Asia (culture magazine)

Has Di Maria retired?

Yes — but only from the Argentina shirt. The reason the question keeps coming back is that Di María’s international exit came at the exact moment Argentina lifted the 2024 Copa América, and the club career never stopped.

Why is Di Maria not playing for Argentina?

The short answer

Because the 2024 Copa América was his chosen finish line. Hindustan Times (news outlet) confirms he stepped away from international football after that tournament, and he has not been named in an Argentina squad since (Hindustan Times (news outlet)).

The paradox

Di María keeps announcing endings and then changing the subject. The international farewell was real, but the contract extension at Rosario Central turned “retirement” into a partial retirement only.

What this means: “Has Di Maria retired?” has a two-part answer — retired from Argentina, still active at club level. Any headline that says otherwise is describing half the story.

Will Di Maria be playing in the 2026 World Cup?

As of the latest World Cup coverage, Argentina’s squad list does not include Di María because he stepped away from international football (Hindustan Times (news outlet)). The door has not been locked: Di María told La Nación in September 2026 that he does not want to retire (La Nación (Argentine daily)).

What to watch

The clock is the opponent. At 38, Di María would arrive at a 2026 World Cup as an impact option, not an automatic starter — and impact options need to be healthy enough to change one match, not three.

The trade-off: Argentina’s coaching staff has to weigh what Di María still offers in a knockout-tournament cameo against the risk of using a roster spot on a player in his late 30s. That tension is why the 2026 answer is “maybe,” not “yes.”

The pattern: the decision rests with Scaloni, and the form Di María shows at Rosario will tip the balance.

Where is Angel Di Maria now?

He is home. Di María is back at Rosario Central, the club he debuted for in 2005, after Benfica’s 2025 Club World Cup participation ended (Wikipedia (career profile)). For a player who spent most of his career in Europe, the return to Rosario is the clearest possible statement of where home is.

The pattern

Every time Di María left Europe, Rosario pulled him back. First it was the club’s youth system; now it is a late-career homecoming with the same jersey he wore as a teenager.

Why this matters: location is the clearest signal of intent. A player who returns to his boyhood club is not positioning himself for a quiet exit; he is building a late-career platform.

The implication: Rosario’s pull is stronger than any retirement rumor.

What is Di María’s net worth?

The strongest public estimate comes from Celebrity Net Worth (wealth tracker), which puts Di María at $25 million (Celebrity Net Worth (wealth tracker)). Times of India (news outlet), by contrast, reports a combined household range of $20–30 million and notes that his wife’s personal wealth has not been disclosed (Times of India (news outlet)).

Is Leo Messi a billionaire?

The context

Messi’s wealth sits in a different bracket from Di María’s. The useful comparison is not between two fortunes; it’s between a plausible $25 million estimate and the fact that no audited number exists for either man.

Bottom line: Treat $25 million as the single best public estimate, not as an audited number. If you see “$18 million,” you’re looking at a different tracker’s methodology, not a different man.

The trade-off: Di María’s wealth is real but not exceptional by elite-football standards. The lack of one agreed-upon number says more about football’s financial opacity than about Di María.

What happened to Di Maria’s wife?

Jorgelina Cardoso is Di María’s wife, and The City Celeb (biography site) says the couple have been married since 2011 (The City Celeb (biography site)). Her own public footprint is deliberately small, which is exactly how the family wants it.

The pattern

Cardoso has been present through Di María’s career without turning the relationship into content. The silence around her personal life is not a gap in the story; it is the story.

The implication: when a footballer’s wife has almost no verified public footprint, that is a choice. And it is a choice Di María’s family has made consistently for more than a decade.

Are Messi and Di Maria friends?

They have shared the Argentina dressing room since 2008, and in the 2022 World Cup final Di María scored while Messi scored twice as Argentina beat France (Wikipedia (career profile)).

Why this matters: the Messi-Di María relationship is not a tabloid hook; it is the tactical reason Argentina’s biggest finals felt winnable. When two older attackers trust each other, a coach can change the game without changing the plan.

The pattern: their bond remains intact even after Di María’s international exit.

Current status, one pattern: the story keeps moving, but the contract keeps pointing to Rosario.

Status Detail Source
Contract expiry 30 June 2027 365Scores (stats platform)
Reported net worth $25 million Celebrity Net Worth (wealth tracker)
Low-end estimate $18 million Lifestyle Asia (culture magazine)
Combined household range $20–30 million Times of India (news outlet)
Wife’s personal net worth Not publicly disclosed Times of India (news outlet)
2022 World Cup final Scored for Argentina against France Wikipedia (career profile)

The pattern: the contract is the strongest clue. Di María talks about retirement, but the paperwork says 2027.

Timeline signal

The pattern: Di María’s timeline is not a slow fade. It is a series of stated exits followed by new commitments.

Confirmed facts

  • International retirement after Copa América 2024 (Hindustan Times (news outlet)).
  • Club career active at Rosario Central (365Scores (stats platform)).
  • Contract extended through June 2027 (365Scores (stats platform)).

What’s unclear

  • Whether a 2026 World Cup return happens (Hindustan Times (news outlet)).
  • Exact net worth, with published estimates from $18 million to $25 million (Lifestyle Asia (culture magazine)).
  • Jorgelina Cardoso’s personal net worth (Times of India (news outlet)).

Voices on the farewell

The context

The loudest signal came from Di María himself, months after the international farewell.

“No quiero ni me voy a retirar.”

— Ángel Di María, quoted by La Nación (Argentine daily)

A recall for the 2026 World Cup is possible if Di María maintains his form.

— Reported stance of Lionel Scaloni, Argentina coach

Di María has spent a career turning farewells into comebacks. The next decision is Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni’s: gamble on a 38-year-old who can still decide a final, or let the next generation carry the shirt. For Scaloni, the choice is clear — keep watching Rosario Central’s No. 11, because the door Di María left open is still ajar.

Related reading: Mitchell Starc: Retirement Status, Net Worth, and Speed · Arne Slot Sacked: Salary, Family & Next Move

Additional sources

surprisesports.com, fotmob.com, mabumbe.com

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Frequently asked questions

When did Di Maria announce his retirement from Argentina?

After Argentina won the 2024 Copa América, Di María stepped away from international duty and has not played for Argentina since (Hindustan Times (news outlet)).

What did Di Maria say about retirement in 2026?

In September 2026, he denied plans to retire, telling La Nación he does not want to retire and is not going to (La Nación (Argentine daily)).

Where is Angel Di Maria playing now?

At CA Rosario Central, with a contract that runs to 30 June 2027 (365Scores (stats platform)).

What is Di Maria’s net worth?

Public estimates range from $18 million (Lifestyle Asia (culture magazine)) to $25 million (Celebrity Net Worth (wealth tracker)).

Who is Di Maria’s wife?

Jorgelina Cardoso; The City Celeb (biography site) says the couple married in 2011 (The City Celeb (biography site)).

Did Di Maria score in the 2022 World Cup final?

Yes — he scored for Argentina in the final against France, a match Argentina won on penalties (Wikipedia (career profile)).