Angel Di Maria, whose life began in difficult circumstances, saw hardships from an early age. He shared a touching story about his family, life, and football in The Players' Tribune, recounting how he helped his father by carrying coal with his sister from a truck to the backyard of their home.
As a child, Di Maria was a very active child, which worried his mother. To manage his hyperactivity, he was directed to an amateur football club. Despite initial refusal, the young footballer, supported by his mother, did not give up. His mother drove him to training every day on his bicycle, regardless of the season.
Thanks to hard work and the persistence of his family, Di Maria gained recognition as one of the brightest young players in the country. His strength became movement into free zones from the flanks, which he demonstrated with graceful movements and high speed, attracting the attention of the Portuguese giant Benfica.
Di Maria recalled that his father considered himself the best footballer, but injuries interrupted his dream, and his grandfather lost his legs in a car accident. He emphasized that his own dream was repeatedly threatened, but his family continued to support him.
He became a star for Benfica, then moved to Real Madrid, where he played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, gaining fame in La Liga and the Champions League. For Argentina, he was a destructive player on the flanks. His goal in the final brought the team a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, although the national team experienced disappointments in World Cup and Copa America matches.
Argentina managed to change its fate in 2021 by winning the Copa America, their first major trophy since 1993. Di Maria's goal was decisive in the final against Brazil at the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. A year later, his explosive speed, dribbling, and finishing ability helped Argentina defeat France in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
The French were able to come back into the game, but Argentina won on penalties, despite Di Maria's tears. This brilliant winger ended his international career after Argentina's victory in the 2024 Copa America.
Di Maria's departure was one of the main reasons for Argentina's recent difficulties, as, according to South American football expert Tim Wiki, there is no replacement for him in world football. The British football commentator, based in Brazil, noted that Di Maria 'carried the piano' both for Cristiano Ronaldo at Real and for Messi in Argentina, possessing infinite spirit and numerous tricks.
Now, as he spends the final years of his career at his childhood club in Rosario, another player from the same city—Lionel Messi—has taken on this role. After head coach Lionel Scaloni could not find a suitable winger, he changed the team's tactics to a more centralized, possession-based approach. However, the problem of attacking width remained relevant.
Cape Verde exploited this weakness in the round of 16, and Egypt came close to a major upset loss. When Argentina trailed the Africans 2-0, Messi shifted to the right side of the field while Egypt blocked the center, managing to create chances and then score the second goal himself, bringing the team back into the game.
He once again worked miracles in the semi-final against England after Argentina conceded early in the second half. By moving to the right, Messi became much more dangerous than Guillermo Simeone, son of former Argentine midfielder Diego Simeone, whose play often led to opponents receiving red cards.
Feeling that the match was slipping away, Messi started playing on the right, controlling possession and waiting for a moment to break away or pass. When England defended deeply, and only five minutes of regular time remained, Messi started attacking from the right again after a short corner that reached Enzo Fernandez, and the Chelsea midfielder scored the equalizer with a powerful right-footed shot.
With the score at 1-1, only one team was striving for victory—it was Argentina, inspired by Messi, as the 39-year-old player was at the center of every attack, most of which came from the right. In the 92nd minute, after Alexis Mac Allister hit the crossbar, Messi picked up the ball near the right penalty area. With a graceful move, Messi broke away, sending in a perfect cross with his weak right foot that bypassed several tall English defenders and reached Lautaro Martinez, who headed in a magnificent winning goal.
After the final whistle, it was clear that Di Maria, watching his old friend play in Rosario, saw his role fulfilled, allowing Argentina to keep the dream of being the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win two consecutive World Cups. Messi is preparing to become the second player in history after Cafu to play in three World Cup finals, and this was made possible because he became the new Di Maria, who never stopped running into free zones and brought glory to his country.
Aiden Markram, recently named South African Men's Player of the Year, shared memories of his decisive century at Lord's and the significant achievement of the Proteas—their triumph in the World Test Championship (WTC) over Australia.
Markram noted that the historic achievement of the Proteas, who became WTC champions just over a year ago, continues to evoke immense pride in him. In an exclusive interview with IOL after the Cricket South Africa (CSA) awards ceremony in Sandton on Thursday evening, he stated that he regularly reviews highlights from this event.
He emphasized that he was a key figure in the final match against Australia at Lord's, securing the South African team's victory with a magnificent 136 runs in the second innings. Although this century had great personal significance for the 31-year-old athlete, he believes that the moments following the game will stay with him forever.
Markram recalled that for players, the celebrations with friends, family, and teammates are the most valuable. He mentioned that the team put in enormous effort behind the scenes, and achieving success after experiencing difficulties in both baseball and red cricket was incredibly special. Hosting this at Lord's in front of numerous spectators made the week truly fantastic.
Markram's excellent year concluded with receiving the prestigious South African Men's Player of the Year award at the CSA Awards ceremony. Nevertheless, despite deep pride in the personal recognition, he insists that it is never his main driving force. Markram stated that playing cricket for individual awards is wrong, yet he expressed deep gratitude and humility regarding the award received, emphasizing that it should not be taken for granted. Ultimately, he believes it was a wonderful year for the team, which achieved something truly outstanding.
Jamie O'Hara, a former Tottenham midfielder, sharply criticized the leadership of the England national team following their defeat by Argentina in the World Cup semi-final. He stated that the coach needed to be fired.
After England lost to Argentina 2-1 in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, O'Hara commented on TalkSPORT. The match ended with Thomas Tuchel's team, which was leading 1-0 with five minutes left in regular time, ultimately losing.
England took the lead through Anthony Gordon in the 55th minute, bringing the team closer to the World Cup final, which had not been held since 1966. However, Enzo Fernández equalized in the 85th minute, and Lautaro Martínez scored in stoppage time following a cross from Lionel Messi.
O'Hara criticized Tuchel's tactical decisions, noting that Argentina's two goals in seven minutes were 'very effective, in the worst possible sense.' He stated that 'the heart is broken' and called one of Tuchel's decisions 'one of the worst managerial decisions I have ever seen.'
Specifically, he referred to Tuchel's attempt to close out the game after Gordon's goal. According to TalkSPORT, Gordon was replaced by central defender Ezri Konsa, and England retreated, allowing Argentina to control the last quarter of an hour of the game. O'Hara argued that one cannot play against Argentina while sitting in defense for 25 minutes, concluding: 'Thomas Tuchel cost us the World Cup – he cost us the World Cup!'
Besides O'Hara, Jason Candy called the approach 'cowardly.' O'Hara went further, stating that England 'left the World Cup in disgrace,' and demanded the coach's dismissal. An ESPN report also supported this criticism, noting that after taking the lead, England 'seemed simply to be trying to hold on,' which the publication felt 'is not enough at this level.'
As a result, Argentina advanced to face Spain in the final in New York, New Jersey. England will play in the third-place match against France. For viewers in South Africa, the final will start at 21:00 SAST (19:00 UTC) on Sunday.
Receiving the HSBC SVNS Men's Player of the Year award was a defining moment in Tristan Leeds' career. However, being on the stadium surrounded by people who had watched him long before he received trophies and global recognition, this moment held even greater significance for him.
Hailing from Strand, the Blitzbok player shared his feelings about how receiving this award will forever remain in his memory on the podcast 'Behind The Ruck' with Juan de Jong and Rudy Page.
Leeds explained that he knew exactly where his family was sitting during the award announcement. Among the spectators, when Tristan's name was called, was his older brother Dillon Leeds, a former Springbok and Stormers player.
Tristan recalled his brother turning around and asking, 'Did you win the award?' After Tristan nodded to him, Dillon was so moved by the moment that he started crying. He then told his mother the news, after which Tristan called his father.
He recounted telling his father, 'Listen, I managed to win the award,' and his father hugged him, adding that it was one of the few times he had seen his father cry.
This episode highlighted that sport goes far beyond the events on the field. Behind every player celebrating a victory is usually a family that witnessed early morning training sessions, sacrifices, disappointments, and moments when it would have been easier to give up.
Tristan often spoke about the support from his parents, who played a huge role in shaping his personality and as a player. His journey from a child in Strand to a recognized top seven rugby player is a story the community is proud of, because somewhere there is a family that remembers the little boy with a ball before the world knew his name, and now they watch him make history.
