On this special day, we have decided to treat you to some lesser-known facts about Di María.
One of the finest players to ever grace the game of football, Ángel Fabián Di María, turns 36 today. Hailing from Rosaria, Argentina, María is a legend of the game who led the national team to three international trophies: the Copa America 2021, the Finalissima 2022, and the FIFA World Cup 2022. To celebrate his special day with football enthusiasts, we have compiled a list of lesser-known facts about El Fideo,
Di María is one of the most skilled footballers, known for dribbling past in the wink of an eye. One of the reasons behind this trait of María is his slender frame. Since his debut, nobody has ever seen María gain too much weight, and he has always maintained a very athletic physique. This is the reason his nickname is ‘El Fideo’, which means ‘The Noodle’. Just like holding noodles with chopsticks is extremely hard, holding María is not every defender’s cup of tea.
As a kid, María was hyperactive and problematic, breaking everything in his house. Therefore, when he was three years old, his mother took him to visit a doctor to find a solution. Even in the waiting area, María was running around and breaking objects. Looking at his uncontrolled and directionless energy, the doctor suggested his mother sign him up for a sport.
Recalling the incident, María once said, “My mother got tired of me breaking everything in the house, so she took me to see a doctor when I was three. I was running around the examination room, breaking everything. The doctor just said ‘Sign him up for a sport’ and that is where my career began.”
When María was one year old, he fell into a well and almost died. “When I was about a year old, I had a baby walker, and we had just moved into the house, which was in bad condition. There was a well in the patio, and I was walking with the baby walker, and I fell into the well. They saved me just in time,” he described the incident.
María is not a man who likes to show off. Therefore, unlike other football stars, he keeps a low profile, but that does not mean he keeps himself away from luxurious commodities. María leads a luxurious life, but out of all the great things money can buy, he loves his cars the most. María has an arsenal of brilliant cars, and some of them are the Lamborghini Huracan, Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS, Aston Martin Vantage, Range Rover Sport, and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
Given Lionel Messi’s greatness, María has always lived in the former’s shadow. However, it must be noted that María has always tasted international glory with Argentina in all stages of his football career. As a youngster, María was part of the Argentine squad that won the U-20 World Cup in 2007 and the Olympics in 2008. As a senior, he has won the Copa America, the Finalissima, and the FIFA World Cup. In short, he has already completed his major international trophy hunt with La Albiceleste.
As María grows a year old, all we want for him this year is to lift the Copa America 2024. After all, he has already announced that he will retire from international football after the tournament. Therefore, we wish him one last international trophy on his birthday—the perfect way to end his glorious career.
