Angel Di María opens up on his Benfica future

Argentina's World Cup-winning winger Angel Di Maria confirmed his exit from Portuguese club Benfica following the club's last league game, which ended in a 1-1 draw against Braga.

Benfica missed the Portuguese league title on the final day after a draw against Braga, allowing Sporting CP to clinch the second consecutive title by defeating Vitoria SC 2-0 in their final game.

Taking to Instagram, Di Maria termed it 'painful' to conclude his stint with Benfica.

"It's very painful to end this way after such a long year. This was my last league game in this shirt, and I'm proud to have been able to wear it once again. There's one more final on Sunday, and we're going to go all out with all the belief and desire to win it."

Di Maria joined Benfica in 2007 for his first spell, which ended in 2010. He then played for several clubs, including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Juventus, before rejoining his current club in 2023.

Di Maria has won 30 trophies in his impressive club career and has also been instrumental for Argentina, alongside Lionel Messi. Argentina successfully won the FIFA World Cup 2022 in their presence. 

Angel Di Maria's 2024-25 campaign for Benfica was successful as he scored 15 goals and assisted 10 times in 39 games across all competitions. 

After his exit from Benfica, Di Maria will be a free agent. However, speculations are that the 37-year-old will team up with his long-time friend Messi at Inter Miami.