Scaloni Hopes To Convince Di Maria To Reconsider His Retirement From Argentina Team

Lionel Scaloni has hinted at the possibility of persuading Angel Di Maria to reconsider his retirement from international football after the 2024 Copa America. The 36-year-old announced that the tournament in the United States would be his last appearance for Argentina. Di Maria earned his 144th cap in Argentina's 2-0 victory over Canada, helping La Albiceleste reach their sixth Copa final in eight editions.

Despite announcing his retirement, Di Maria remains crucial for Argentina. He has played in four of Argentina's five games leading up to this final, starting three of them. His performance underscores his importance to the team as they aim for another title. Scaloni expressed his feelings about Di Maria, stating, "You know how I feel about Angel. We don't want to retire him earlier than needed."

Scaloni added that they should allow Di Maria to enjoy the moment and then see if he can be convinced to stay on. "We don't want to feel melancholy. We have to let him play, and then we'll see if we can convince him or not to stay with us," he said.

Nicolas Otamendi is also expected to retire after the upcoming final, while Lionel Messi's future remains uncertain. All three players were instrumental in Argentina's win over Canada at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, keeping them on track for a third major title in three years.

Canada started strong but Julian Alvarez opened the scoring in the 22nd minute. Messi added a second goal early in the second half, securing the win for Argentina. Scaloni acknowledged the difficulty of reaching another final, saying, "It is extremely tough to reach another final."

Challenges Along the Way

Scaloni highlighted that reaching this stage was not easy and praised Canada as a challenging opponent. "It is tough because we know how hard it is to get there. The bar has been set very high," he noted. "Everyone thought it was going to be a bed of roses and it wasn't like that at all."

The upcoming final will be Di Maria's last scheduled game for Argentina, against either Colombia or Uruguay. As Scaloni and his team prepare for this crucial match, they remain focused on allowing their veteran players to shine one last time.

As Argentina gears up for what could be a historic win, fans and players alike are cherishing these moments with their beloved stars. The anticipation builds as they await Sunday's decisive game.