Lionel Messi's Argentina team-mate, Angel Di Maria, has revealed that he's still taking medication to deal with some infamous defeats while playing for his country.
The winger, who is currently strutting his stuff for Benfica, was part of the team that won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Before that, however, Di Maria had experienced multiple heartbreaks on the international scene.
The forward was part of the Argentina squad that lost Copa America finals to Chile in 2015 and 2016.
Lionel Messi's Argentina team-mate, Angel Di Maria, has revealed that he's still taking medication to deal with some infamous defeats while playing for his country
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And the 37-year-old was also involved as his country lost the final of the 2014 World Cup, with German reigning supreme on that occasion following a 1-0 victory courtesy of a goal from Mario Gotze.
Di Maria scored in the final as Argentina beat France to secure World Cup glory two years ago.
But the Benfica star is still haunted by the trophies he didn't win, having turned to medication to help cope with the pain.
He told Infobae: "Because of that I'm still taking the meds.
"I was able to reduce it [dosage].
"I'm much better, but that's something a little addictive, too.
"These are things that stay with you, that mark you."
As well as winning the World Cup in 2022, Di Maria fired Argentina to Copa America glory in 2021 at the expense of fierce rivals Brazil before winning the trophy again last year.
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Di Maria is pleased to have won in Argentina's blue and white colours but feels sorry for some of his old team-mates who haven't had that honour.
He continued: "Who remembers the boys that reached that World Cup final and didn't win?"
"Very few, it seems unfair to me. Who is talking about those kids Nobody.
"Very few can tell you how they played.
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Angel Di Maria cried on the pitch after Argentina lost to Germany in the final of the 2014 World Cup
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"I said it a lot of times when we became world champions, when we won the Copa America, I always said that those trophies were also [thanks] to the previous generation."
Last year, Di Maria decided to announce his retirement from international football.
That has sparked an improvement in his club form, with the former Real Madrid, Manchester United and PSG star netting 14 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions.
And Di Maria believes he made the right call, with the winger adding: "I was there for 16 years [with the national team] and it is as if I had been in a club.
Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria were part of the team that won the World Cup in Qatar back in 2022
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"It's difficult, but I think I made the right decision. It's obvious that it tempts me because it's the national team.
"I achieved everything I wanted to achieve. I left the way I wanted to leave.
"I hope one day I can be there again, in a different role."
