Angel Di Maria to return to boyhood club Rosario Central after Club World Cup
Angel Di Maria will return to his boyhood club Rosario Central 18 years after he departed to move to Europe.
The Argentine top-flight side confirmed the news on social media with a video accompanied by the caption: 'Our history together has more pages to write… Welcome home.'
Di Maria, 37, will join Rosario as a free agent after announcing he would be departing Benfica following the conclusion of his contract earlier this month.
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Benfica confirmed he would move to Rosario after the Portuguese side's 2025 Club World Cup campaign. Benfica described Di Maria's participation in the tournament as a 'special and symbolic moment' for him and the club.
The former Argentina international progressed through the Rosario academy and made 39 first team appearances between 2005 and 2007 before moving to Benfica.
Un papel, una firma… ✍🏻Donde todo arrancó, vuelve a empezar. #BienvenidoÁngel 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/tXWsZ57uAG
— Rosario Central (@RosarioCentral) May 29, 2025
Di Maria said last summer that a return to Rosario had been in the works but he was forced to abandon plans due to alleged threats of violence against him and his family.
The 2022 World Cup-winner's move back to Argentina ends his 18-year stay in Europe, in which time he has represented Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Benfica, winning the Champions League, La Liga, the Primeira Liga and five Ligue 1 titles.
He returned to Benfica in 2023, and his side missed out on the league title on the final day of the 2024-25 season.
'It's very painful to end this way after such a long year,' Di Maria posted on Instagram after Benfica's draw with Braga on the last day of the campaign. 'This was my last league game in this shirt, and I'm proud to have been able to wear it once again.'
Benfica play Boca Juniors in their Club World Cup opener on June 16 before facing Auckland City and Bayern Munich in the group stages.
Rosario finished top of Group B in the first phase of the 2025 Argentine Primera Division and begin the second phase on July 13.
The club have won the Argentine top-flight title on four occasions, last doing so in 1987, and share a hostile rivalry with city rivals Newell's Old Boys.
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