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Di Maria Studying to Become a Coach after Retirement

Benfica's Argentine forward #11 Angel Di Maria (front) celebrates with teammate Benfica's Danish defender #6 Alexander Bah after converting a penalty to score their fourth goal during the Portuguese League football match between SL Benfica and FC Porto at at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, on November 10, 2024. (AFP)
Benfica's Argentine forward #11 Angel Di Maria (front) celebrates with teammate Benfica's Danish defender #6 Alexander Bah after converting a penalty to score their fourth goal during the Portuguese League football match between SL Benfica and FC Porto at at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, on November 10, 2024. (AFP)
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Di Maria Studying to Become a Coach after Retirement

Benfica's Argentine forward #11 Angel Di Maria (front) celebrates with teammate Benfica's Danish defender #6 Alexander Bah after converting a penalty to score their fourth goal during the Portuguese League football match between SL Benfica and FC Porto at at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, on November 10, 2024. (AFP)
Benfica's Argentine forward #11 Angel Di Maria (front) celebrates with teammate Benfica's Danish defender #6 Alexander Bah after converting a penalty to score their fourth goal during the Portuguese League football match between SL Benfica and FC Porto at at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, on November 10, 2024. (AFP)

Benfica forward Angel Di Maria said he is studying to become a coach as he will consider opportunities in the dug-out when he eventually ends his 20-year-long playing career.

The 36-year-old, who helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, retired from international soccer after winning his second Copa America trophy in July.

Former Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Paris St Germain player Di Maria has scored five goals and registered two assists in 14 appearances for Benfica this season, including a goal in their 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last month.

"I am taking the course to be a coach. I am doing it just in case," Di Maria said in an interview with Clank Media published late on Monday. "From the age of 30 I started to see football differently and analyze it."

"I started to see it not only from the player´s side, but also how a coach can see it. I know that the coaching side is much more difficult because it takes much more time. As a player you just train and go home.

"When I retire, I would like to enjoy time with my family for a while but later on, maybe this can happen."

Di Maria, who joined Benfica last year from Italian side Juventus, has a contract with the Portuguese club valid until June 2025.

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Marquinhos Asks Brazil Fans to Keep the Faith

Brazil's player Marquinhos gestures during a press conference following a training of the Brazil national football team at the Manuel Barradas stadium in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, on November 17, 2024, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier football match against Uruguay. (AFP)
Brazil's player Marquinhos gestures during a press conference following a training of the Brazil national football team at the Manuel Barradas stadium in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, on November 17, 2024, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier football match against Uruguay. (AFP)
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Marquinhos Asks Brazil Fans to Keep the Faith

Brazil's player Marquinhos gestures during a press conference following a training of the Brazil national football team at the Manuel Barradas stadium in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, on November 17, 2024, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier football match against Uruguay. (AFP)
Brazil's player Marquinhos gestures during a press conference following a training of the Brazil national football team at the Manuel Barradas stadium in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, on November 17, 2024, ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier football match against Uruguay. (AFP)

Five-times World Cup winners Brazil have struggled to impress in South America's qualifiers for the 2026 tournament but defender Marquinhos had called on fans to stick by the side ahead of Tuesday's home game against Uruguay.

With a run of five wins, four losses and two draws, Brazil are fourth in the standings on 17 points, five behind leaders Argentina, with the top six qualifying automatically for the World Cup in North America. Uruguay are second on 19 points.

Brazil were held 1-1 in Venezuela on Thursday, with Vinicius Jr seeing a late penalty saved, and stand-in skipper Marquinhos said the players still took pride in playing for the shirt even when results did not go their way.

"Even though many things might cause people to lose hope in the national team, we ask that they never lose their passion for it," the 30-year-old told a news conference on Sunday.

Brazil, who were beaten by Uruguay in Montevideo last year, are in a transitional phase under head coach Dorival Junior and it will take some time to iron out the problems, he added.

"We will still make some mistakes because this transition is still very new, with all these changes of players and teams," said Marquinhos, who deputizes for regular captain Danilo.

"But we will make fewer and fewer mistakes and that makes us happy.

"We don't worry too much about the standings as long as we're in a comfortable position. We want to win to move up the table, make the work flow better, and gain confidence."

Brazil go into Tuesday's match without a host of top players with defender Eder Militao and forwards Neymar and Rodrygo among those sidelined due to injury.