Ángel Di María received an impromptu ovation from Rosario Central fans during the one-minute tribute to his former teammate Lionel Messi.
As requested by the Argentina Football Association (AFA), during Rosario's 1-1 home league draw against Newell's in Sunday's city derby, the game was paused in the 10th minute for a minute of applause in honor of Messi, who announced his retirement from the national team on Aug. 31.
Di María, 38, was among the players that began clapping on the pitch as images of Messi were projected on the jumbotron screens.
Messi is a lifelong supporter of Newell's and played for the club's youth teams before joining Barcelona.
As well as praising Messi, Rosario Central fans gave an ovation to Di María, clapping and chanting his nickname "Fideo."
A 2022 World Cup winner and two-time Copa América champion, Di María played alongside Messi for 16 years in the national team.
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Messi and Di María played together at Paris Saint-Germain during the 2021-22 season. Di María retired from international duty in 2024 having scored 31 goals in 145 appearances for the Albiceleste.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star returned to his boyhood club Rosario Central after 18 years in 2025.
