Angel Di Maria has reached a remarkable milestone that places him among a select group of Argentine footballers to have built careers spanning 1,000 professional matches.
The 38-year-old winger reached the landmark on 13 August while representing Rosario Central in the first leg of their Copa Libertadores last-16 tie. It was a fitting achievement for Di Maria, who returned to the club where his professional journey began after ending his international career with Argentina.
Di Maria retired from international football after helping Argentina win the 2024 Copa America. He has since continued playing domestic football for Rosario Central, his boyhood club. His return has added another chapter to a career that has already included success at some of Europe’s biggest clubs and major international honours with Argentina.
Reaching 1,000 professional appearances is an exceptionally rare achievement in football. According to the football statistical organisation RSSSF, 82 players have accumulated at least 1,000 matches when top-level competitions are combined with regional and amateur leagues, youth teams and cancelled matches.
The number falls considerably when the criteria are restricted to top-level football, national and international cup competitions, international tournaments and under-23 matches. By that measure, RSSSF records 32 players with at least 1,000 appearances. Di Maria is the latest addition to that group.
There is also a slight difference between the various statistical records. Di Maria’s professional tally currently stands at 1,002 appearances, while RSSSF lists him with one fewer match. The discrepancy is linked to his subsequent appearance for Rosario Central against Talleres in Argentina’s top flight, which had not yet been added to the RSSSF database at the time of the latest update.
The milestone also places Di Maria in distinguished Argentine company. Only two compatriots had reached the mark before him: Lionel Messi and former full-back Javier Zanetti.
Messi, who was once Di Maria’s Argentina team-mate, has accumulated 1,168 top-level appearances according to RSSSF. Argentine publication El Grafico puts his total at 1,170. The difference reflects variations in the way individual statistical sources classify and count matches.
Zanetti, meanwhile, enjoyed an extraordinary career renowned for its longevity and consistency, particularly during his long spell with Inter Milan. RSSSF records him with 1,081 top-level appearances, while El Grafico gives a higher figure of 1,099.
Di Maria’s own journey began on 14 December 2005, when he made his first-team debut for Rosario Central in Argentina’s top division. From there, he moved to Europe and represented Benfica, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.
His club career has been decorated with major honours. Di Maria won league titles in Portugal, Spain and France, while his spell at Real Madrid also brought the most prestigious club trophy in European football, the Champions League.
His international career has been equally significant. Di Maria has made 145 appearances for Argentina and became one of the key figures of the national team’s most successful period in recent years under Lionel Scaloni.
Between 2021 and 2024, Argentina won two Copa America titles, the Finalissima and the World Cup. Di Maria played an important role throughout that period, contributing goals and assists while providing experience and attacking quality from the wing.
His decision to retire from international football after the 2024 Copa America brought an emotional end to a major chapter of his career, but it did not mark the end of his time on the pitch. His return to Rosario Central has allowed him to continue playing at club level while adding to an already remarkable record.
Across his professional career, Di Maria has scored 243 goals and provided 284 assists, according to the figures cited in the original statistical record. He has also received 10 red cards during his career.
For an Argentine footballer who began his senior journey at Rosario Central more than two decades ago, reaching 1,000 matches with the same club represents a particularly significant milestone. Di Maria now stands alongside Messi and Zanetti as one of the few Argentines to have crossed that extraordinary threshold.
