Angel Di Maria made an unexpected choice when asked to name his favourite Argentine footballer.
Ángel Di María shocked fans in a recent interview granted to the Ballon d’Or, omitting eight-time winner Lionel Messi when asked to name his favourite Argentine footballer, surprisingly selecting Leandro Paredes instead.
The veteran winger was tasked with naming his favourite footballers from major footballing nations. After naming Paredes for his home country, he chose Neymar as his favourite Brazilian, Pedri for Spain, Thomas Müller for Germany, Xavi Simons for the Netherlands, and Kylian Mbappé for France.
The unexpected exclusion of Messi has sparked reactions, given the pair’s deeply intertwined careers and the success they have shared at the summit of international football.
Messi and Di Maria define an era
Di María and Messi undeniably marked a golden generation of Argentine footballers, anchoring the national team through decades of heartbreak before finally securing global dominance.
Together, the legendary duo famously beat Nigeria to win the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing before eventually breaking the senior team’s painful trophy drought by winning the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, the historic 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and the 2024 Copa América.
Di María has consistently maintained an overwhelmingly positive and deeply affectionate personal relationship with Messi off the pitch, frequently praising him as the greatest player in history.
However, he also shares a close friendship with Paredes, whom he played alongside at Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and the national team.