\u25cb<\/span>With only a few months left until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Lionel Messi’s Argentina national team will enter the tournament as reigning world champions, following up on their exploits in Qatar in 2022. <\/p>\nHowever, the competition will also be without one of its star players, Ngel Di Mara, who retired from the team in 2024. Nevertheless, the former world champion said there is a good chance he will return to this tournament. <\/p>\n
Will Dimara return to Argentina? <\/h2>\n
There is one notable absence from the biggest soccer event, which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19. That is, “El Fideo” will not wear Albiceleste’s colors. Nguer retired at the top after winning the 2024 Copa Amrica, saying he felt he had “come full circle” with the Argentina national team and it was time to make way for new and younger talent. <\/p>\n
However, at the age of 38, he continues to play for his hometown team, Rosario Central, and is still performing at an elite level. In fact, he scored the team’s goal in the recent 2-0 win against Baraka Central and is one of only four players in the club’s history to score after turning 38 years old. <\/p>\n
This is no small feat, especially for former world champion Ubaldo Mathilde Figol, the legendary goalkeeper of the Argentina national team and part of the team that brought his country the World Cup for the first time in 1978. <\/p>\n
He shared a video on social media in which he spoke and analyzed Di Mara’s possible return to Lionel Scaloni’s team.<\/p>\n
“I heard that the coaching staff and some of the players are encouraging him to return to the national team. From what I saw today, he definitely has to be there to play,” Fignol said. <\/p>\n
Highlighting his current form, “Pato” continued to express his confidence that Engel will play for Argentina again: “…I think he will be there, that’s how I feel. I think they will convince him to play in the next World Cup.”<\/p>\n
Soccer fans were quick to share their opinions in the comments section. While some argued that the way his Albiceleste career ended was for the best, others wholeheartedly agreed: <\/p>\n
“You’re right, Pato. I hope so,” one of them commented. “If we want to be world champions again, he has to go no matter what,” said another. “We have to convince him (Di Mara) to go to the World Cup. I don’t know if he will be a starter or not, but he has to go there,” replied a third fan. <\/p>\n
Furthermore, El Pato newspaper compared El Fideo’s situation to that of Lionel Messi, his teammate of the same age at Inter Miami in the MLS, saying, “I think Di Mara is doing well.Compared to Leo Messi.” “So, Leo is in a league that is not very competitive, but Argentine football is very competitive. And they don’t give anything for free, they don’t give space, everyone is divided, and he’s doing it.” \u201cHe has speed, he has spark and he scores goals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Argentina will aim to defend the cup they won by defeating France in a dramatic penalty shootout in Qatar on December 18, 2022. They will be placed in Group J alongside Austria, Algeria and Jordan and will make their debut against Algeria on Tuesday 16 June. They will then play against Austria on Monday 22nd June and against Jordan on Friday 26th June.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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