World Cup countdown: 50 days, Argentina moment number 48, Angel DI MARIA
As part of the 50 days, 50 Argentina World Cup moments, we will be counting down the top 50 Argentina moments at a World Cup using the daily number.
We are just 48 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup and in 48th place we have Angel DI MARIA’s 48th cap for Argentina which happened to be his country’s opening match at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a 2-1 win against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
One of the favorites of the tournament were up against one of the World Cup debutants. Alejandro SABELLA infamously opted to go for a 5-3-2 and despite getting an early own goal and a 1-0 lead, the team never looked fully comfortable. And then, Lionel MESSI happened. A fantastic give-and-go with Gonzalo HIGUAIN (who was substituted on at half time) meant the team had finally arrived to the World Cup.
Here was Argentina’s starting XI for that match:
1. Sergio ROMERO
2. Ezequiel GARAY
3. Hugo CAMPAGNARO
4. Pablo ZABALETA
7. Angel DI MARIA
10. Lionel MESSI
11. Maxi RODRIGUEZ
14. Javier MASCHERANO
16. Marcos ROJO
17. Federico FERNANDEZ
20. Sergio AGUERO
That goal flipped the switch for the team which would eventually make the final of the World Cup. Angel DI MARIA started to turn on the style, a rabona pass to Marcos ROJO to keep the ball into play, a fantastic little dribble going in between two Bosnia-Herzegovina players… The team looked sensational in that second half.
Ángel Di María: Argentina International Caps – Senior Level
| # | Opponent | Competition | Date | Result |
| 1 | Paraguay | 2010 World Cup Qualifiers | September 6, 2008 | Final 1-1 Draw |
| 2 | Venezuela | 2010 World Cup Qualifiers | March 28, 2009 | Final 4-0 Argentina |
| 3 | Bolivia | 2010 World Cup Qualifiers | April 1, 2009 | Final 6-1 Argentina |
| 4 | Peru | 2010 World Cup Qualifiers | October 10, 2009 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 5 | Spain | Friendly | November 14, 2009 | Final 2-1 Spain |
| – | Catalonia | Unofficial Friendly | December 22, 2009 | Final 4-2 Catalonia |
| 6 | Germany | Friendly | March 3, 2010 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 7 | Canada | Friendly | May 23, 2010 | Final 5-0 Argentina |
| 8 | Nigeria | 2010 FIFA World Cup | June 12, 2010 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 9 | South Korea | 2010 FIFA World Cup | June 17, 2010 | Final 4-1 Argentina |
| 10 | Greece | 2010 FIFA World Cup | June 22, 2010 | Final 2-0 Argentina |
| 11 | Mexico | 2010 FIFA World Cup | June 27, 2010 | Final 3-1 Argentina |
| 12 | Germany | 2010 FIFA World Cup | July 3, 2010 | Final 4-0 Germany |
| 13 | Republic of Ireland | Friendly | August 11, 2010 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 14 | Spain | Friendly | September 7, 2010 | Final 4-1 Argentina |
| 15 | Japan | Friendly | October 8, 2010 | Final 1-0 Japan |
| 16 | Brazil | Friendly | November 17, 2010 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 17 | Portugal | Friendly | February 9, 2011 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 18 | United States | Friendly | March 26, 2011 | Final 1-1 Draw |
| 19 | Albania | Friendly | June 20, 2011 | Final 4-0 Argentina |
| 20 | Bolivia | 2011 Copa America | July 1, 2011 | Final 1-1 Draw |
| 21 | Colombia | 2011 Copa America | July 6, 2011 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 22 | Costa Rica | 2011 Copa America | July 11, 2011 | Final 3-0 Argentina |
| 23 | Uruguay | 2011 Copa America | July 16, 2011 | Final 1-1 (5-4 P) Uruguay |
| 24 | Venezuela | Friendly | September 2, 2011 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 25 | Nigeria | Friendly | September 6, 2011 | Final 3-1 Argentina |
| 26 | Chile | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | October 7, 2011 | Final 4-1 Argentina |
| 27 | Venezuela | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | October 11, 2011 | Final 1-0 Venezuela |
| 28 | Ecuador | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | June 2, 2012 | Final 4-0 Argentina |
| 29 | Brazil | Friendly | June 9, 2012 | Final 4-3 Argentina |
| 30 | Germany | Friendly | August 15, 2012 | Final 3-1 Argentina |
| 31 | Paraguay | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | September 7, 2012 | Final 3-1 Argentina |
| 32 | Peru | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | September 11, 2012 | Final 1-1 Draw |
| 33 | Uruguay | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | October 12, 2012 | Final 3-0 Argentina |
| 34 | Chile | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | October 16, 2012 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 35 | Saudi Arabia | Friendly | November 14, 2012 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 36 | Sweden | Friendly | February 6, 2013 | Final 3-2 Argentina |
| 37 | Bolivia | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | March 26, 2013 | Final 1-1 Draw |
| 38 | Colombia | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | June 7, 2013 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 39 | Ecuador | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | June 11, 2013 | Final 1-1 Draw |
| 40 | Italy | Friendly | August 14, 2013 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 41 | Paraguay | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | September 10, 2013 | Final 5-2 Argentina |
| 42 | Peru | 2014 World Cup Qualifiers | October 11, 2013 | Final 3-1 Argentina |
| 43 | Ecuador | Friendly | November 15, 2013 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 44 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | Friendly | November 18, 2013 | Final 2-0 Argentina |
| 45 | Romania | Friendly | March 5, 2014 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 46 | Trinidad and Tobago | Friendly | June 4, 2014 | Final 3-0 Argentina |
| 47 | Slovenia | Friendly | June 7, 2014 | Final 2-0 Argentina |
| 48 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | 2014 FIFA World Cup | June 15, 2014 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 49 | Iran | 2014 FIFA World Cup | June 21, 2014 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 50 | Nigeria | 2014 FIFA World Cup | June 25, 2014 | Final 3-2 Argentina |
| 51 | Switzerland | 2014 FIFA World Cup | July 1, 2014 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 52 | Belgium | 2014 FIFA World Cup | July 5, 2014 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 53 | Germany | Friendly | September 3, 2014 | Final 4-2 Argentina |
| 54 | Brazil | Friendly | October 11, 2014 | Final 2-0 Brazil |
| 55 | Hong Kong | Friendly | October 14, 2014 | Final 7-0 Argentina |
| 56 | Croatia | Friendly | November 12, 2014 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 57 | Portugal | Friendly | November 18, 2014 | Final 1-0 Portugal |
| 58 | El Salvador | Friendly | March 28, 2015 | Final 2-0 Argentina |
| 59 | Ecuador | Friendly | March 31, 2015 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 60 | Bolivia | Friendly | June 6, 2015 | Final 5-0 Argentina |
| 61 | Paraguay | 2015 Copa America | June 13, 2015 | Final 2-2 Draw |
| 62 | Uruguay | 2015 Copa America | June 16, 2015 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 63 | Jamaica | 2015 Copa America | June 20, 2015 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 64 | Colombia | 2015 Copa America | June 27, 2015 | Final 0-0 (5-4 P) Arg |
| 65 | Paraguay | 2015 Copa America | June 30, 2015 | Final 6-1 Argentina |
| 66 | Chile | 2015 Copa America | July 4, 2015 | Final 0-0 (4-1 P) Chile |
| 67 | Ecuador | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | October 8, 2015 | Final 2-0 Ecuador |
| 68 | Paraguay | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | October 13, 2015 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 69 | Brazil | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | November 13, 2015 | Final 1-1 Draw |
| 70 | Colombia | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | November 17, 2015 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 71 | Chile | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | March 24, 2016 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 72 | Bolivia | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | March 29, 2016 | Final 2-0 Argentina |
| 73 | Honduras | Friendly | May 27, 2016 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 74 | Chile | 2016 Copa America | June 6, 2016 | Final 2-1 Argentina |
| 75 | Panama | 2016 Copa America | June 10, 2016 | Final 5-0 Argentina |
| 76 | Chile | 2016 Copa America | June 26, 2016 | Final 0-0 (4-2 P) Chile |
| 77 | Uruguay | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | September 1, 2016 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 78 | Venezuela | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | September 6, 2016 | Final 2-2 Draw |
| 79 | Peru | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | October 6, 2016 | Final 2-2 Draw |
| 80 | Paraguay | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | October 11, 2016 | Final 1-0 Paraguay |
| 81 | Brazil | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | November 10, 2016 | Final 3-0 Brazil |
| 82 | Colombia | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | November 15, 2016 | Final 3-0 Argentina |
| 83 | Chile | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | March 23, 2017 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 84 | Bolivia | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | March 28, 2017 | Final 2-0 Bolivia |
| 85 | Brazil | Friendly | June 9, 2017 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 86 | Singapore | Friendly | June 13, 2017 | Final 6-0 Argentina |
| 87 | Uruguay | 2018 World Cup Qualifier | August 31, 2017 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 88 | Venezuela | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | September 5, 2017 | Final 1-1 Draw |
| 89 | Peru | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | October 5, 2017 | Final 0-0 Draw |
| 90 | Ecuador | 2018 World Cup Qualifiers | October 10, 2017 | Final 3-1 Argentina |
| 91 | Russia | Friendly | November 11, 2017 | Final 1-0 Argentina |
| 92 | Nigeria | Friendly | November 14, 2017 | Final 4-2 Nigeria |
| 93 | Italy | Friendly | March 23, 2018 | Final 2-0 Argentina |
If you missed it, here are our 50 World Cup moments:
50: Sergio ROMERO gets 50th cap vs. Switzerland at 2014 FIFA World Cup.
49: Roberto AYALA scores in the 49th minute vs. Germany at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
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