Argentine soccer player Angel Di Maria said Tuesday that safety concerns mean he will not finish his career in his native Rosario, after a bullet-pierced pig’s head was thrown at a family business. The 36-year-old, who won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022, had said he wanted to return to his boyhood club in the nation’s third-largest city, which has recently seen an explosion in gang-related crime. “There was a threat at my sister’s business: it was a box with a pig head and a bullet in the forehead, and a note that said that if I returned to (Rosario) Central, the next head was that of my daughter Pia,” Di Maria told TV station Rosario3. 

“I am not going to return to Rosario in this way. They touched my family and I am not going to allow that. Not at any price,” he said, adding he wanted to protect the “peace and happiness” of his family.

Di Maria, who has played for Manchester United, has faced other threats including a note thrown into a family property in March threatening their lives if he joined any club in Rosario, a city in the central Santa Fe province.

Argentine authorities said at the time the note contained a threat from “criminal organizations” putting on a show of strength.

Santa Fe Governor Maximiliano Pullaro said this month there were protocols in place to guarantee the safety of public figures.

But Di Maria said he disagreed: “It is disrespectful to talk about security and protocols for me when people from Rosario cannot go out to work, cannot wait for the bus without being robbed or killed for a backpack.”

Several high-profile South American footballers have faced criminal actions ranging from threats to serious crime, such as kidnapping and blackmail.

Also in Rosario, gunmen opened fire last year on a shop belonging to the family of World Cup-winning Argentine captain Lionel Messi‘s wife.

They left a threatening message for the footballer in what was also interpreted as gangs flexing their muscles.

Meanwhile, guerilla fighters in Colombia kidnapped the father of Liverpool footballer Luis Diaz last October and held him for 12 days before freeing him.

Argentina lifted their third major trophy in the span of as many years, beating Colombia in Sunday’s Copa America final in Miami. Lautaro Martinez scored the only goal of the match in the 112th minute to win a record 16th Copa America for Argentina. There were tears before the celebrations though with Argentina captain Lionel Messi going off injured in the 66th minute. The final was also an emotional farewell for veteran winger Angel di Maria, who had earlier announced that he would retire from international duty after the tournament in the United States.

As Argentina were about to receive the trophy, Messi made a heartwarming gesture towards Di Maria and experienced defender Nicolas Otamendi.

Messi, who started his career during the same time as Di Maria and Otamendi, asked the duo to join him before he was about to lift the trophy.

pic.twitter.com/8kthMmKdXx

— M10G (@World10G) July 15, 2024

A game of few chances, which had been marred by security and crowd issues, forcing a 82-minute delay, was decided by a quality finish from substitute Martinez — who finished the tournament’s top scorer with five goals.

For Colombia, whose only title came in the 2001 Copa America and who were unbeaten in 28 games, it was a disappointing night when little seemed to work for Nestor Lorenzo’s team.

There was chaos around entry to the stadium for fans, with organisers blaming supporters for trying to enter without tickets while fans blamed the lack of an efficient entry system to the venue.

The scenes were alarming with some fans needing medical attention for heat exhaustion but after the decision to suddenly throw open the gates, with no checks on those entering, the situation was largely resolved and the game went ahead.

Di Maria, who had left the field for the last time in an Argentina shirt to huge applause, said the team’s ‘Triple Crown’ achievement needed to be appreciated.

“It seems easy but it is very difficult. I know this because I experienced the other side for 10, 11 years as well. It’s not easy to get to the finals and win them,” he said.

(With AFP Inputs)

Argentina winger Angel Di Maria said Sunday’s Copa America triumph over Colombia was the perfect dream ending to his career with the national team. A 1-0 win after extra-time secured a third straight major title for the Albiceleste following their 2021 Copa win and their World Cup triumph the following year. The 36-year-old winger had announced in November that he would retire from international duty after the tournament. “I dreamt it, that’s why I said it was the last Copa America and it ended here. I dreamt that I would reach the final, I dreamt that I would win it, that I would retire like this,” he said.

Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni took Di Maria off in the final minutes of extra-time, ensuring he received a huge farewell from the team’s fans which his eyes showed he was moved by.

“I have so many beautiful feelings..I am eternally grateful to this generation, they gave me everything, they made me achieve what I wanted so much, and today I am leaving in this way, how better than this?” he said.

Di Maria, had been part of a generation with Lionel Messi who won the Olympics in 2008 but then struggled for silverware, missing out in the final stages of tournaments to the frustration of the nation.

But the ‘Triple Crown’, which also hands Argentine a record 16th Copa, confirms Lionel Scaloni’s team’s place among the greats of South American football.

“It seems easy but it is very difficult. I know because I lived on the other side too for ten, 11 years, fighting for it,” said the Benfica winger. 

“It’s not easy to reach finals and win them. And now it’s happening, it’s like that, at some point it had to happen and I would have liked to have been able to win one too with the previous bunch of lads, we deserved it too but we kept insisting, kept fighting and these guys gave me everything” he said.

Di Maria scored the goal which won the gold medal in Beijing and also grabbed the goal in the 1-0 win over Brazil in the 2021 Copa final.

World champions Argentina get an expanded Copa America under way on Thursday with Lionel Messi looking to add a second continental title in what is almost certainly his final appearance in the tournament. The 108-year-old competition is being held in the United States with the host nation among six teams from the CONCACAF region joining the 10 South American nations looking for a place in the July 14 final in Miami. While FIFA will be looking closely at the organization of the event, two years out from the World Cup which will be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, the tournament’s rich history and prestige means it is much, much more than a ‘trial event’.

Argentina have won the Copa 15 times but only once, in 2021, during the Messi era and coach Lionel Scaloni has stuck largely with his World Cup-winning squad, with veterans Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi likely taking their final bow in a major tournament.

Whether this is Messi’s goodbye to elite international football is yet to be seen – the eight-times Ballon d’Or winner, now playing in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami, will turn 37 four days after Thursday’s opener in Atlanta against Canada and has yet to decide whether he will try to play in a record sixth World Cup.

“It’s great to have records and continue to achieve things but I won’t take part in a World Cup just to say I’ve done six,” Messi told ESPN last week.

“If I feel good and everything is in place for me to be there, fine, but I won’t go just to go. It’s very difficult to imagine what can happen because it’s still two years away. I don’t need to commit right now to whether or not I’ll be there,” he added.

What is certain is that Messi, who has managed his workload to try to be in peak condition for the tournament, would relish the chance to win a third straight major tournament with his country after so many years of frustration with his national team.

Tough opposition

After facing Canada, Argentina take on Chile in New Jersey before finishing their group A action against Peru in Miami but they know that tough opposition awaits in the knock-out stage with rivals Brazil and Uruguay the two expected challengers for the title.

Brazil have struggled in CONMEBOL qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup having won just two of their opening six games and they currently sit in sixth place in the standings having lost to Uruguay, Colombia and Argentina.

There are several familiar names missing from Dorival Junior’s Brazil squad with Casemiro, Gabriel Jesus and Thiago Silva left out while Richarlison and Neymar are both missing due to injury.

The pressure will be on the Real Madrid attacking pair of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo to translate their club form into success for the Selecao while there is much excitement around the senior tournament debut of 17-year-old talent Endrick, who is set to join Real next month from Palmeiras.

Uruguay, also 15-times winners, have impressed under their 68-year-old Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa, who has brought his trademark high-energy style to the team and raised expectations with recent wins over Argentina and Brazil.

Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez will lead the line although Bielsa has the option of introducing veteran Luis Suarez from the bench.

Colombia head into the tournament without a loss in over two years and with Liverpool’s livewire winger Luis Diaz a constant threat and James Rodriguez enjoying a late career revival, Nestor Lorenzo’s team can’t be discounted.

The USA will hope that they can generate some sorely needed excitement after losing their way since a creditable run to the last-16 at the World Cup.

Coach Gregg Berhalter is under some pressure to show he can get his team, which relies on the smart wing play of Christian Pulisic, to compete with teams from outside of CONCACAF.

Mexico have guested frequently in the Copa in the past and reached the final in 1993 and 2001, but they look well below their usual level although they can, as always, count on huge support in the USA.

This is the second time the Copa America is being held in the USA, after the Centenary tournament in 2016, and while that is a break with tradition the presence of significant immigrant communities from all the competing nations, should ensure big crowds at the mostly NFL stadiums being used.

Argentina begun their 2024 Copa America title defence with a 2-0 win over Canada, as talisman Messi played a crucial part in both goals. However, Messi was on the receiving end of trolling and criticism on social media, as he missed an open goal chance while Argentina were 1-0 up. A video went viral, where Messi, having been sent through on goal, failed to score the chance as well as the rebound. Messi later made up for the miss by assisting Argentina’s second goal, scored by Lautaro Martinez.

Watch: Lionel Messi‘s miss

Time to retire pal

pic.twitter.com/jXQ0CbEqS5

— (@pessisfinishedx) June 21, 2024

In the video, an inch-perfect long ball from Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez finds Messi through on goal, 1v1 against the Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau. Messi’s first shot is straight at the keeper. On the rebound, Messi manages to fake a dummy past the goalkeeper, but scuffs his shot, which is blocked.

Messi wasn’t the only one to squander a golden opportunity, as Angel di Maria too missed one earlier in the game.

After a goalless first half, Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez had fired home the opening goal. Messi had penetrated the Canada backline with a superb throughball, reaching Alexis Mac Allister, who passed it to Alvarez.

Messi’s chance, which came in the 65th minute, would’ve doubled the lead. However, the 2022 FIFA World Cup champions had to wait till the 88th minute, when Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez sealed the result, again after a delicate throughball by Messi.

Copa America 2024 is being held in the United States of America, in what is the 48th edition of the tournament. Argentina have been placed in Group A, alongside Canada, Peru and Chile.

Messi and Argentina will be hoping to bury the demons from 2015 and 2016 by beating Chile, who had defeated them in the final of both editions.

Arch-nemesis and fellow favourites Brazil begin their 2024 Copa America campaign on 25 June.