Rosario Central Stretches Winning Streak Over Newell's to Six With Di María on the Field

There's a photo that sums up what Ángel Di María's return to Rosario Central meant better than any stat sheet could: the captain, wearing number 11 on his back, curling a shot into the top corner with less than ten minutes left on the clock. That goal, scored in the derby on August 23, 2025, closed a story that had begun nearly two decades earlier with an 18-year-old coming off the bench.

Because before he was Fideo, the one from Munich, Paris or the title he won with the national team, there was a kid with long hair making his debut in Rosario's hottest fixture. It happened on April 2, 2006, during matchday 13 of the Clausura, when he came on in the 22nd minute of the second half in place of Chacho Coudet. The match at El Gigante de Arroyito ended 0-0, goalless but with a few flashes of skill that already hinted at what that kid was made of.

A year later came the second chapter, and it wasn't the one he would have wanted. On May 6, 2007, already a starter under coach Carlos Ischia, Di María watched Newell's take all three points at the Coloso del Parque thanks to a goal from Cardozo, nicknamed Tacuara. He also picked up a yellow card that day. At just 19 years old, he had no way of knowing it would take almost 18 years before he played in another Rosario derby.

The dream homecoming

In between, of course, there was a bit of everything: Benfica, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and a World Cup title with the Argentina national team. But when he returned to Rosario Central in August 2025, wearing the captain's armband, Di María still had unfinished business with this fixture. And he settled it in the best way possible: that long-range free kick that clipped the crossbar didn't just secure the win for his team, it also marked the start of something bigger.

With that goal, Rosario Central reached its fifth straight win over Newell's, a streak that had begun in September 2023 with a goal from Nacho Malcorra and kept adding chapters: another 1-0, this time on the road, in early 2024, and a third win in August of that year through a goal from Facundo Mayo. In February 2025 the visitors won 2-1 at the Coloso, with goals from Gaspar Duarte and Jamilton Campaz, and a late consolation goal from Éver Banega wasn't enough. Then came Di María's stunner.

The most recent chapter was written on March 1, 2026, with Rosario Central playing away. Despite visibly struggling physically, Fideo found himself unmarked inside the box and opened the scoring just after the restart. Enzo Copetti sealed it with the second goal, and the final score, 2-0, allowed Rosario Central to extend its streak to six straight wins, something unprecedented since both clubs have shared AFA competitions.

Only two longer streaks exist in the history of the Rosario derby, and both belong to the amateur era: Newell's won 11 in a row between 1909 and 1912, and Rosario Central answered with 12 between 1914 and 1918. With this run going and Di María still on the field, the next chapter arrives on Sunday, September 6, when Rosario Central hosts Newell's in matchday eight of the 2026 Torneo Clausura.