Ángel Di María urged Lionel Messi to keep playing for Argentina after the 39-year-old captain led the defending champions to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
“Leo has to continue for as long as he wants,” Di María told TNT Sports in comments published Friday, July 24. “I think he can continue for many more years.”
Di María said Messi remained among football’s greatest players and had shown at 39 that age had not placed a ceiling on his performances.
Spain defeated Argentina 1–0 after extra time in the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, July 19. Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute after Enzo Fernández’s dismissal reduced Argentina to 10 players.
– ¿Debería Scaloni y Leo Messi continuar?
Ángel Di María 🇦🇷: "Sí, Leo debería continuar hasta el momento que él quiera. Creo que puede seguir por muchos años más.
A los 39 años ha demostrado que es uno de los mejores y sigue siendo el mejor de la historia, sin un techo…
— Veronica Brunati (@verobrunati) July 24, 2026The match was widely expected to be Messi’s final World Cup appearance. However, the Inter Miami forward has not publicly confirmed whether he will stop representing Argentina.
Argentina reached the final after beating England 2–1 in the semi-final. Di María said that victory had delivered an unforgettable moment for the country despite the subsequent loss to Spain.
Read: Lionel Messi Wins IFFHS World Cup Best Player Award
“For me, the World Cup ended there,” Di María said. “They gave the whole country great joy.”
Di María also backed Lionel Scaloni to remain Argentina’s head coach. Scaloni cast doubt on his future after the final but said he would fulfil his contract through December.
Di María ended his own Argentina career after helping the team win the 2024 Copa América. He scored 31 goals in 145 international appearances.
