Angel Di Maria has reached another remarkable milestone in an already distinguished career, becoming one of a small group of Argentine footballers to make 1,000 professional appearances.
The milestone came on 13 August, when the 38-year-old winger represented boyhood club Rosario Central in the first leg of their Copa Libertadores last-16 tie. It was a significant moment for a player whose career has taken him from Argentina to some of Europe’s biggest clubs and, ultimately, to the summit of international football with his country.
Di Maria retired from international football after helping Argentina win the 2024 Copa America. He has since continued his club career with Rosario Central, where his professional journey began. Reaching the 1,000-match mark at his childhood club added another layer of significance to the achievement.
According to the international football statistics organisation RSSSF, Di Maria had made 1,001 appearances at the time of its latest update. His actual tally has since reached 1,002, with his appearance against Talleres in Argentina’s top flight not yet included in the organisation’s database.
RSSSF’s figures cover a particularly demanding definition of elite football. When only top-level league matches, national and international cup competitions, international tournaments and Under-23 football are considered, the number of players to have reached 1,000 appearances falls considerably.
RSSSF lists only 32 footballers as having reached that figure at the highest level, with Di Maria the latest addition. Broader statistical lists contain more names because they include regional and amateur competitions, youth matches and other fixtures.
Di Maria is also not the first Argentine to reach the landmark. He follows two highly distinguished compatriots: Lionel Messi and Javier Zanetti.
Messi is comfortably ahead of Di Maria in terms of appearances. RSSSF credits the Argentina captain with 1,168 matches at the highest level, although Argentine sports publication El Grafico puts his figure at 1,170. The difference reflects the way different statistical databases classify certain matches.
Zanetti, the former Inter Milan full-back and Champions League winner, is another member of the exclusive group. RSSSF records 1,081 top-level appearances for him, while El Grafico lists 1,099.
For Di Maria, the road to 1,000 matches began almost two decades ago. He made his debut in Argentina’s top flight for Rosario Central on 14 December 2005. From there, his career quickly moved towards Europe, where he established himself at Benfica, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.
His time at Real Madrid brought one of the most prestigious achievements of his club career: Champions League success. He also won league titles in Portugal, Spain and France, building a trophy cabinet that reflects the remarkable longevity of his career.
Internationally, Di Maria has been equally influential. He represented Argentina 145 times before ending his international career after the 2024 Copa America triumph. His most successful period with the national team came under Lionel Scaloni, when Argentina transformed into one of the dominant sides in international football.
Between 2021 and 2024, Di Maria helped Argentina win two Copa America titles, the 2022 World Cup and the Finalissima. His performances in crucial matches during that period cemented his reputation as one of Argentina’s most important players of his generation.
His international career also produced several defining moments. Di Maria scored in the 2021 Copa America final against Brazil, the 2022 World Cup final against France and the 2024 Copa America final against Colombia. Those goals came on some of the biggest stages available to a footballer.
Across his career, Di Maria has scored 243 goals and provided 284 assists, according to the figures cited in the original report. He has also received 10 red cards.
At 38, the Argentine winger is now at a very different stage of his career from the young player who made his Rosario Central debut in 2005. Yet the 1,000-match milestone underlines something that has remained constant: extraordinary longevity at the highest levels of the sport.
Messi and Zanetti reached the landmark before him. Di Maria has now joined them, completing another notable chapter in a career that has already included domestic titles, European glory and the biggest international trophies.
