Ángel Di María returns to his first love: Rosario Central

The 37-year-old winger, a World Cup champion with Argentina who has played for some of the most important clubs in Europe—such as Real Madrid and Manchester United—has agreed to return to the Argentinean team that developed him and where he made his professional debut two decades ago.

“Welcome Ángel, we’ve been waiting for you,” Central announced Thursday in a video posted on its social media, accompanied by highlights from Di María’s career. He is considered the most important Argentine footballer of this century after superstar Lionel Messi.

Di María will join the “Canalla,” the team from his hometown of Rosario in the province of Santa Fe, after competing in the Club World Cup with Portugal’s Benfica. The tournament will be held from June 15 to July 13 in the United States.

“Fideo” (Spanish for “noodle”), as he is nicknamed because of his slender frame, came up through the youth ranks of Central and debuted in 2005. Two years later, he was transferred to Benfica, the first stop in a long career at the highest level of European football that included stints at Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG in France, and Juventus in Italy.

The winger was instrumental in Argentina’s recent title wins. He scored the winning goal in the 2021 Copa América final against Brazil and another in the World Cup final against France.

Di María bid farewell to the national team after winning the 2024 Copa América.