Without a shred of doubt, Ángel Di María, the son of Miguel Di María and Diana Hernández, is one of the best players of his generation. Hailing from Rosario, the same birthplace as Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Thiago Almada, Ángel grew up in Perdriel, a small subregion. As a child, Ángel was notably active, prompting his parents to consult a doctor to ensure it was normal. Following the doctor’s advice, Ángel began playing football at the age of three.
Ángel Di María Biography: From Childhood Dreams to Global Fame
Preamble:
Despite his love for football, Ángel also dedicated time to help his parents at the local coal yard alongside his two sisters, Vanesa and Evelyn. Raised in a low-income family, they often struggled to afford basic necessities like football boots and the transportation costs for Ángel’s training. Nevertheless, these challenges didn’t deter him from pursuing his passion for the sport.
This article tells the story of a footballer who, after witnessing his parents’ struggles, vowed to succeed in football to ease their burdens. Today, even as he approaches retirement, Ángel Di María considers himself a family man, dedicating a significant portion of his salary to support his parents and other family members. He even had to insist that his father stop working after he bought a house for his parents and sisters.
Ángel Di María’s story is one of resilience, talent, and an unwavering spirit that propelled him from the streets of Rosario to the pinnacle of international football. Affectionately known as “Noodle” for his slender frame and agility, Di María’s journey is not just about his skills on the field but also the relationships and family life that shaped him into the icon he is today.
Let’s dive into the captivating account of Di María’s rise, exploring the milestones, his detailed family background, and the lesser-known facets of his life that contribute to the legacy of this true football legend.
Angel di Maria Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
To begin his biography, Ángel Fabián Di María Hernández was born on February 14, 1988, in Rosario, Argentina. Alongside Christian Eriksen and Edinson Cavani, he is among the most notable footballers born on Valentine’s Day in 1988.
Angel di Maria’s Early Years – clear signs of his humble beginnings.
Growing up in Perdriel, Ángel Di María was one of three children born to his mother, Diana Hernández, and father, Miguel Di María.
From infancy, Ángel displayed remarkable energy and activity levels. Acting on a doctor’s advice, his parents enrolled him in football at the age of three to channel his boundless energy.
“I was a restless child, very hyperactive,” Ángel recalled. “The doctor advised my parents, ‘The boy needs to engage in some sport; it will calm him down.’ Instead of karate, they chose football for me.”
While pursuing football, Ángel also assisted his parents in their work at a local coal yard, alongside his two sisters, Vanesa and Evelyn.
Angel di Maria’s Early Life with Football:
Due to their limited income, Di María’s family struggled to afford football boots and support his hobbies.
Young Angel di Maria was in his early footballing years.
According to Ángel Di María, “It’s something I will always carry with me. For me to play football and have soccer boots meant my two sisters went without,” he shared in an interview. “It was a tough life, especially when the weather was bad and all they had was a metal roof over their heads.
“Both my sisters and I worked at the coal yard. I started when I was ten, and by the time I was 15, I was helping with deliveries. It was hard work.”
It’s worth noting that Di María joined the local club Rosario Central in 1995, the club behind the rise of Facundo Buonanotte. He was brought to the club after being noticed at the age of seven while playing for a small local team. He was brought in exchange for 30 footballs and progressed through the youth academy, graduating in 2005.
As I update Angel Di Maria’s bio, I see that he has just made history with his country.
He, alongside fellow PSG teammates Guido Rodriguez and Nicolas Otamendi, has won the long-awaited Copa America for Argentina. The rest of his Bio, as they say, is now history.
Jorgelina Cardoso and Angel Di Maria Love Life:
To start with, Angel Di Maria’s love story is centred around one woman.
She is no other than the blonde Argentinian, Jorgelina Cardoso, who is about five years older than him. Jorgelina is known all around Argentina for her well-toned body beauty. This was why Di Maria approached her during his career heights at Benfica.
At a time, he was named “Magic Tri Maria” by all newspapers in Portugal. A time he was backed by Diego Maradona to become “Argentina’s next superstar.”
Argentine media often portrays Jorgelina as her football-playing husband’s biggest fan, noting her readiness to defend Di María against critics. It didn’t take long before Di María officially appointed her as his manager.
Jorgelina Cardoso played a pivotal role in Di María’s success. Under her guidance, he grew more confident on the pitch, leading to his move to Real Madrid, a development announced surprisingly by the Portuguese Stock Exchange regulatory entity.
After these successes, Ángel Di María decided to solidify his love for fellow Argentine Jorgelina (formerly Cardoso), marrying her in 2011, two years after they first met.
Angel di Maria and Jorgelina Cardoso’s wedding ceremony.
Birth of Daughter:
In 2013, their daughter Mia was born. Because of her ill health, the girl had to stay in the hospital for two months.
It was a very difficult period, “Jorgita” posted on her Instagram account.
Mia was born three months premature and underwent treatment at the intensive care unit of Hospital Universitario Montepríncipe in Madrid, where she thankfully survived.
On her first birthday, Jorgelina shared photos on Instagram, expressing, “Only Dad and I know how heartbreaking it was to see your face surrounded by medical cables.”
She continued…
“There is nothing sadder than to go home from the hospital with empty arms. Tears soaked our pillows every night.
And now we can say that you are a strong, healthy, happy girl. You won the battle for your life, for our lives.”
The Argentine Baller and his Wife once celebrated their daughter’s birthday.
Angel Di Maria Family Life:
To start with, Angel Di Maria’s family were not the richest of the lot in La Ceramica. He comes from a poor family background.
Today, Di Maria considers himself to be a “family man” and has used a significant amount of his salary to “give back” to his family. After being transferred to Benfica, he asked his father not to work anymore and purchased a house for his parents and sisters.
Ángel’s old man, Miguel, was a decent footballer, too, but his dream of becoming a River Plate player was shattered after he suffered a career-ending knee injury before he was due to make his debut.
Instead, he worked in a coal yard for 16 years, earning a meagre wage.
Sharing a room with his two sisters, Miguel’s son Ángel soon realised that football was his chance to achieve a better life (Lionel Messi was also reared in Rosario, although his middle-class upbringing paved the way for a rather more gilded childhood).
In his own words, “I often reflect on how fortunate I am to have football. I struggled academically, and without football, I might have continued working in the coal yard. What else would I have done?
“My heart aches for my father because he could have pursued a football career, but a serious knee injury ended his prospects while playing for River Plate Reserves.
“My mother always reminds me of my blessings and that I am fulfilling my father’s dream; I am living his dream,” he fondly recalls.
About Angel Di Maria’s Mother:
Diana Hernández, the mother of Ángel Di María, is the main brain behind her son’s involvement in football.
Her husband was afraid of choosing football as a career choice for his son, considering his failure in the sport. Knowing that her husband was still passionate about soccer, she pushed him to accept what was to come.
She decided that her first child, Little Ángel, should play football after a doctor suggested that he engage in a sport like martial arts or football to help manage his youthful hyperactivity.
Aside from his wife, Jorgelina Cardoso, Diana Hernández remains her son’s second biggest fan.
Diana Hernández- Di Maria’s second biggest fan
Who are Angel Di Maria Sisters?
Ángel Di María has two younger siblings, Evelyn Di María Hernández and Vanesa Di María Hernández. In the past, Evelyn and Vanesa played crucial roles in assisting their parents and their older brother, Ángel, with work at the local coal yard.
Angel Di Maria Biography Facts – Tattoo Fact:
Like many footballers, he is keen on his tattoos. Before he left for Benfica, he and six childhood friends all had the same phrase inked on their left forearm:
“To be born in El Perdriel was and will be the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.”
This is the case of the Argentine, as seen below.
Di Maria Tattoo Facts
Why he kept silent while being prosecuted at Real Madrid:
Once upon a time, Real Madrid considered selling the winger despite his strong performances for the club. This decision came shortly after they broke the world-record transfer fee with an £80 million deal for Gareth Bale, another left-footer who shares Di María’s heart-shaped goal-scoring celebration. Despite this, Di María remained steadfast and did not demand an explanation from the club. He maintained his composure, likely due to his daughter being seriously ill at the time.
Impressively, the winger refused to allow his personal drama to influence his showing for his club and even scored the winner in the Madrid derby versus Atlético just five days after she was born.
Despite winning the UEFA Man of the Match award in the 2014 Champions League Final, he was still sold. Currently, there are rumours suggesting that he might move to FC Barcelona seeking revenge.
Arab Looks and Nickname:
Have you noticed Angel has the appearance of people from the Arab nation?… Probably, his family ancestry has a trace to the nation. Additionally, his nickname is ‘Fideo’, the Noodle, on account of his skinny physique, as observed below.
Despite not being physically imposing, Angel is very hard-working by nature. Even as a natural striker, he has defensive tendencies.
Prison Sentence Story:
In mid-2017, Ángel Di María received a one-year prison sentence after admitting to tax fraud.
The charge relates to an image rights deal from the Argentine star’s time with Real Madrid. He is said to have defrauded the Spanish government out of £1.14 million during his four-year spell at the Bernabeu.
He reportedly admitted to both counts of fraud and agreed to pay a fine of £1.76 million, thus avoiding a trial at the Spanish Supreme Court.
Despite being handed the prison sentence, Di Maria is highly unlikely to spend any time behind bars. Sentences of under two years are suspended in Spain, providing the convicted has no criminal record.
Why he left United:
During his tenure at Manchester United, Di María experienced an unfortunate incident when his home in Prestbury, Cheshire, was burgled on January 31st, 2015.
His wife couldn’t return home after the break-in by thieves at the former Manchester United winger’s house. This got her shaken up all day and marked the beginning of an end in his stay at Manchester United and England.
Despite being given around-the-clock security by United, Di Maria relocated his family to a faraway hotel. He left United and England at the next transfer window. Let’s not forget that at Man United, Angel had Luke Shaw and Delay Blind as his teammates.
An Event that happened the day he was born:
Di María was born on the same day that Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the Moon, married his third wife, Lois Driggs Cannon, who was aged 58. Following their divorce, she retained her Mercedes, which bears the personalized license plate ‘MOONGAL’.
Who is Angel Di Maria’s Idol?
It is not even the Argentine Diego Maradona who is known to have praised Di Maria on several occasions.
As a youngster, his idol was Kily González, the former Valencia and Inter winger, who earned 56 caps for Argentina and was predominantly left-footed, like Di María.
He watched González play for Rosario Central in 1995 and then became his team-mate when promoted to the first team at the age of 17.
Recently, Legendary Di María recalled how González became angry at him during a match when he left him exposed on the flank. “Those are things that you never forget,” he said.
Fact Check:
We strive for accuracy and fairness while delivering you the Biography of Argentine Footballers. Without a doubt, the Life story of Mexican Uriel Antuna, Argentine Alejo Véliz and Alejandro Garnacho will excite you. If you see something that doesn’t look right in this article, please leave a comment or contact us!
