'These things mark you' - Angel Di Maria 'still taking meds' over losing three successive finals with Argentina despite eventual World Cup & Copa America success alongside Lionel Messi

The Benfica winger, who played a crucial role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup success and Copa America victories in 2021 and 2024, endured a painful three-year period earlier in his career, suffering defeats in the 2014 World Cup final and two Copa America finals in 2015 and 2016. Despite ultimately redeeming himself with historic triumphs alongside Lionel Messi, Di Maria has admitted that the scars from those heartbreaking losses have not completely healed.

"Because of that, I’m still taking medication," the former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain star revealed in an interview with Infobae, as reported by ESPN. "I’ve been able to reduce the dosage. I’m doing much better, but these things stay with you. They leave a mark."

Di Maria also expressed sympathy for his former Argentina team-mates, many of whom never got the chance to lift an international trophy despite coming agonisingly close.

"Who remembers the boys that reached that World Cup final and didn't win?" he said. "Very few, it seems unfair to me. Who is talking about those kids? Nobody. Very few can tell you how they played. I said it a lot of times when we became world champions when we won the Copa América, I always said that those trophies were also [thanks] to the previous generation."

Although still going strong in club football, Di María retired from international duty last summer at the age of 37. However, he has no regrets and is at peace with his decision.
"I was there for 16 years [with the national team] and it is as if I had been in a club," Di Maria said. "It's difficult, but I think I made the right decision. It's obvious that it tempts me because it's the national team. I achieved everything I wanted to achieve. I left the way I wanted to leave ... I hope one day I can be there again, in a different role."

Messi, Di Maria’s close friend and long-time team-mate, was also instrumental in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup success. The Inter Miami star received the Golden Ball for his performances. He scored seven goals in the tournament, including two in the final against France, before converting his penalty in the shootout. Di Maria, meanwhile, scored Argentina’s second goal in what became one of the most dramatic World Cup finals in history.

Di Maria has demonstrated his enduring quality, scoring 14 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions this season with Benfica. With The Eagles set to face Monaco in the Champions League playoffs on Tuesday, Di Maria will be looking to make an impact and help his team secure a place in the round of 16.