A Blow That Shook the Captain
Rosario Central's elimination in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores 2026 against Corinthians (1-0 on aggregate) left a deep mark on Ángel Di María. The captain and emblematic figure of the Argentine club expressed his pain on the pitch at Neo Química Arena: “My dream was different, my hopes were different”, and even questioned his continuity: “I need to think about what I want to keep doing.”
Those statements, taken with concern by fans, sparked a wave of speculation. However, hours later, the former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain winger took to his social media to clear up the rumors and bring calm to the Central faithful.
The Firm Message on Instagram
In a post shared on Friday, August 21, Di María wrote: “This has a comma, because there is still a lot to fight for. I don't abandon. What I said was out of anguish, just a moment. So we will keep fighting for everything that comes and, without lowering our arms, we will go all together until the end. Go Central of my life. All together.”
The message, accompanied by a photo of him in the blue-and-yellow jersey, was interpreted as a confirmation of his commitment to the club he loves, to which he returned in June 2025 after a glittering career in Europe.
Analysis of the Tie and the Pain of Elimination
In the post-match interview, Di María analyzed the two-legged series: “Today the match was very even, there wasn't a big difference between one team and the other. Both tried, but neither had many clear chances.” He also acknowledged that at home the team had opportunities to seal it: “At home we had a lot of chances and could have scored and won by one or more goals. But that's football.”
The 2022 World Cup champion did not hide his sadness: “A tough moment, a moment of not knowing what to say. It's a hard blow for everything we were building and growing as a club, as a group, as a team, as a family.” He also thanked the fans who traveled to Brazil: “Seeing them there, not stopping as if we had advanced, was crazy. Thank you so much, and always thank you.”
Central's Present and Di María's Future
With the elimination in the Libertadores and also out of the Copa Argentina, Rosario Central will focus all its efforts on the Torneo Clausura, where they sit second in Zone B behind Argentinos Juniors with 10 points in 5 matches. Their next fixture is on Monday, August 24 against Talleres de Córdoba, away from home.
Di María, 38 years old, has a contract with Central until mid-2027. Since his return, he has accumulated 14 goals and 7 assists in 43 official appearances. Although the blow was hard, his later words make it clear that the captain has no intention of giving up.
“What I said was out of anguish, just a moment.”
Central fans can breathe a sigh of relief: their idol is staying. And with him, the hope of fighting for the domestic title.