On Perdriel Street, a modest road in northern Rosario where Angel Di Maria first kicked a ball, where goals were made with stones and games ended when the light faded, the celebration was loud when the prodigal son returned home 17 years after leaving. He set off with a backpack full of hope and came back a global star, every major trophy to his name, yet with the same humility and values he learned as a kid, as firm as the day his father gave him a few months to make it in soccer or go to work with him hauling coal. “El Fideo,” whom Cesar Luis Menotti once placed alongside Maradona and Messi, speaks exclusively to AS from the place where his soul has always belonged.
You’ve returned to Rosario to close the circle. Do you feel nostalgic?
I feel joy for the journey I’ve had and for my career and travels around the world.
Six clubs, 145 caps, 37 trophies, goals and decisive performances in finals. Has reality exceeded your wildest dreams?
Absolutely. I never imagined any of this. My dream didn’t go beyond playing for Rosario Central’s first team. What came after was about sacrifice and taking chances. Every time a train passed, I got on it, and it carried me to spectacular places around the world.
You came home, scored a stunning goal in the biggest derby against Newell’s, and won the title. Do you feel more like a hero than a player?
It’s an honor to enjoy my people. It’s unique for me. Things don’t always work out so beautifully, and I’m very happy to give this joy to the fans and to everyone who believed in me. They made me feel like I never left. Reality exceeded my expectations. Enjoying each match and having fun on the field is what allowed me to achieve everything I’ve won. Over a long career, there are walls to break, because it’s not always pretty. In those moments, you have to keep going to be happy again.
You come from a very humble family and place. Are you especially proud of what you’ve achieved?
Of course. From my parents I learned sacrifice, never giving up, never quitting. I hit the wall many times and didn’t let up. I kept trying and applied what I was taught as a kid.
Your father worked hauling coal and gave you an ultimatum when you were just 16.
That’s right. My dad needed my help to support the household and gave me one last chance because my mom asked him to. She told him to give me one more opportunity to play soccer and try to break into the first team. That was in January, when preseason started with Rosario Central’s youth teams, and by the end of that year I made my top-division debut. That’s where my career began.
What does Perdriel Street, which you’ve had tattooed for years, mean to you?
Everything. That’s where I started enjoying the ball. Having fun in soccer comes from that, playing barefoot and making goals with stones. That’s what makes Argentines different, wanting to live off what you love, with a street-soccer soul that sets you apart.
As a kid, did you want to be a goalkeeper?
Yes. I liked it quite a bit, but my left foot was stronger than my hands, so I moved up the field.
Trophies, pressure, and the Argentina shirt
Of your 37 trophies, which made you happiest?
All of them. I can’t choose. Some are more important, like the World Cup, but each one is a reward for a year of sacrifice and means we did things right. I can’t dismiss any of them.
World Cup, U-20 World Cup, Olympics, Copa America, Champions League, domestic leagues. Was any especially emotional?
The 2021 Copa America. We won with the national team after a 28-year drought, and it unlocked something for me. I was doing well at clubs but couldn’t get it done with the national team. After carrying such a heavy load, beating Brazil in that final with a goal of mine was one of the most beautiful moments of my career.
Messi is 38, Modric 40, Cristiano will turn 41, and all three are going to the World Cup. Don’t you want to go?
It’s not that I don’t want to. I think my cycle is complete. I achieved everything I wanted. A young generation is coming through, and I felt it was time to step aside. After Qatar, I’d already decided, and the guys convinced me to play one last Copa América. It ended like a movie, as champions, and it was my moment. Now it’s someone else’s turn.
Madrid, Mourinho, and the Clásico years
You arrived in Lisbon with your family and three years later signed for Madrid. Was it one of the biggest challenges of your life?
I lived day to day until my third year in Portugal, when I exploded at a high level and offers from Europe’s giants started to arrive. When Madrid came, it was obvious I couldn’t say no. It’s the biggest club in the world, and a privilege to go there. It was a beautiful challenge, reaching the highest level a player can reach at club level.
You arrived at the same time as Jose Mourinho. What did he mean to you?
Everything. Mou is No. 1, by far, as a person and as a coach, for what he gives to the player, the team, and the club. He gave me everything, and I’ll always be grateful. He stood up for me so I could go to Madrid after a 2010 World Cup that wasn’t good for me individually, and he supported me to be by his side.
What do you remember from those intense, heated Clásicos against Barcelona?
They were beautiful. Every Clásico was unique. After a World Cup final, the most-watched event globally is Real Madrid vs. Barcelona. Those are the games I like, in front of the world. That’s where I feel comfortable. It’s a fierce rivalry, everything happened, but I always played with love and affection for being able to take part in such great matches.
Everyone talks about Sergio Ramos’ goal in La Décima (2014 Champions League final), but few remember you were the MVP.
(Laughs) That’s how it was. Goals and assists count the most, and that’s normal. I didn’t mind. I’m very proud to have played a part in such an important win for the club. More Champions Legaues came later, but that one was special because of how long it had been awaited.
Carlo Ancelotti changed your position, from winger to interior midfielder.
He’s a great coach and a wonderful person. I have a lot of affection for him. I’ve never heard anyone speak badly about Carlo. He also supported me at a critical moment, when there were rumors about my departure that I’d never heard. He told me he’d find a place on the field for me.
And he did.
Against Osasuna he put me in midfield, I scored, and everything changed. I repeated it several times and scored more goals. Ancelotti gave me a lot of affection, and I tried to return it on the field.
Teammates, exits, and what comes next
You shared a locker room with Xabi Alonso. Were you surprised by his exit from the bench?
Yes. Mbappé already said it wasn’t a failure because he only lost the Super Cup final to Barcelona, and that’s not so bad. The pressure at Madrid isn’t easy. There’s little patience at a club that big and results are demanded quickly, but he’s a great coach.
His replacement was another former teammate, Alvaro Arbeloa. Do you see him as a younger version of Mourinho, someone you identify with?
I don’t know what he’s like as a coach. He was a great guy, we got along well. He didn’t start well, but he corrected course, and it looks like he will do well.
Now it’s master vs. pupil in the Champions League. Does your heart lean red or white?
This time it stays in the middle. (Laughs.) Madrid is almost through, Benfica has it tougher, but I can’t choose. I was very happy in both places. Let God decide.
Did Cristiano Ronaldo’s work ethic mark you?
Yes. In terms of professionalism, Cris is No. 1 by far. The way he works, maintains himself, always tries to be the best, battling with Leo, was admirable. But he overlapped with Messi’s era, which made that goal very hard.
You’ve always put Messi ahead.
Cris was all work and effort to be No. 1, but Messi could be sipping mate in the locker room and then show he had a God-given gift to be the best.
Menotti once put you at the level of Messi and Maradona.
I thanked César a lot for those words, but I wasn’t close to them. They belong to another reality. It was a beautiful compliment. I didn’t know Menotti when he said it, and when I met him I thanked him in person, but I know it’s not the reality and I’m far from both.
You had Diego Maradona as Argentina coach. What did you learn from him?
Many things, but above all his message to play like you do in your backyard and bring out the best inside you. He always said the field was like your home garden, and that made me calm and enjoy it.
There’s a young Argentine winger at Madrid now. What do you think of Mastantuono?
They’ve compared him to me, but he has much more quality than I did and much better dribbling. He’s top level. He’s also been criticized and written off when things weren’t going well, like Xabi, but he has his whole career ahead of him. He’s better now, playing more, and he’ll grow a lot, which is easy when you’re surrounded by the best.
Did it hurt to leave Madrid?
Yes, because I didn’t want to leave. It was said I wanted to earn the same as Cristiano, which was false. How could I expect that from someone who’s won multiple Ballon d’Ors? I was very happy, had won the Champions League, and Ancelotti didn’t want me to leave either, but James Rodríguez arrived and I was the one on the market.
You left against your will?
I tried to stay until the last day. I wanted to keep training. I played the first leg of the Super Cup against Atletico, and for the return I wasn’t even called because an agreement with Manchester United had already been reached, which I didn’t know about. I had to watch from home as Atlético won the title. My family and I were very happy, but sometimes these things happen, and they happened to me.
You spent a year in Manchester, then went to PSG and played with Mbappé. Is he the best right now?
Yes. Kylian has been among the best in the world for years. Team trophies influence individual awards, but he shows every day he’s among the greats, and today he’s the best. When he found his way of playing, he became a difference-maker.
Spain and Argentina will meet soon in the Finalissima.
They’re the two best national teams in the world, but I hope Argentina wins. It’ll be spectacular because there’s a shared rhythm and similar ways of seeing the game. It’ll be a battle for possession because both teams play the same way.
Any young player who fascinates you?
Besides Mastantuono, Nico Paz catches my eye. He has enormous potential. I watch him all the time, and his level is very high. He’s been outstanding and shows he’ll keep improving and bring Argentina a lot of joy.
Is he good enough for Real Madrid?
Yes, easily. The problem is Madrid has many good players, and bringing him to sit on the bench isn’t good. Being at Como has been great for him. He has confidence, he’s even better than last season, and I’m very happy for him. His moment to reach a big club will come.
Is your future coaching, forming a duo with your friend Leandro Paredes?
For sure. When I retire, I’ll train and wait for him to finish, which will be a couple of years after me. I’ll take it calmly.
Will Mourinho be your reference?
I’ll try to be myself, just like I was as a player. I never wanted to look like anyone else on the field, and as a coach it’ll be the same. I don’t want to look in anyone’s mirror. I want my team to do what comes from me.
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