Di Maria Names Leandro Paredes as Favourite Argentine Footballer, Leaving Out Messi and Maradona

In an interview conducted by the Ballon d’Or, Argentine winger Ángel Di María was asked to name his favourite footballer from a selection of major footballing nations. His answer for Argentina — Leandro Paredes — drew immediate attention, with Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona both absent from his selection.

Beyond Argentina, Di María named Neymar as his pick for Brazil, Pedri for Spain, Thomas Müller for Germany, Xavi Simons for the Netherlands, and Kylian Mbappé for France. The interview, published on June 13, 2026, quickly circulated across social media given the conspicuous omission of Messi.

The choice of Paredes is not without context. The two players share a close personal bond forged over several years as teammates at Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, and the Argentine national team. Di María has spoken warmly of Paredes on multiple occasions, and the midfield pair were part of the same Argentine squad that achieved sustained international success throughout the 2020s.

Di María and Messi’s shared history with the Albiceleste spans nearly two decades and includes some of the most significant triumphs in Argentine football. The pair were part of the side that defeated Nigeria to claim the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. At senior level, they ended Argentina’s long wait for major honours by winning the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and the 2024 Copa América.

Despite the surprise generated by his answer, Di María’s public admiration for Messi has been well documented. He has frequently described the Inter Miami forward as the greatest footballer in history, making his exclusion from this particular exercise all the more striking to observers.

The distinction Di María appears to be drawing is one between personal affection for a teammate and broader footballing admiration — a nuance that may explain why Paredes, rather than Messi, featured in his response. That said, the omission of Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or a record eight times, remains the detail most likely to sustain discussion around the interview.

Di María himself retired from international football following Argentina’s 2024 Copa América triumph, having established himself as one of the most decorated wingers of his generation. Paredes, now 31, continues to represent the national side and remains active at club level in Europe. The two players’ relationship, built across stints at some of the continent’s largest clubs, clearly carries significant weight for Di María when reflecting on Argentine football’s recent golden era.