At 8 AM on September 6 in Beijing, the first round of the South American qualifiers for the World Cup saw Argentina hosting Chile. Before the match, Argentina held a retirement ceremony for Di Maria from the national team. Messi also recorded a video message for Di Maria.
Messi said: “I hope you have a great night tonight, this tribute to you is very well deserved. I hope you and your family and loved ones have a wonderful evening. We’ve already said everything that needed to be said. We’ve shared so much, who would have thought it would end this way? We will miss you so much. Hope to see you soon.”
Di Maria and his family were moved to tears.