Four years on from that magical night in Lusail, the story of Ángel Di María’s prophetic text messages to his wife Jorgelina Cardoso still sends shivers down the spine. In a world of sports where superstition often meets destiny, the veteran winger didn’t just hope for a fairytale ending – he called his shot with the swagger of a man who had seen the script. And boy, did he deliver.

Lionel Scaloni’s decision to start Di María in the 2022 World Cup final was a curveball that caught France off guard. Before the match, Di María had been used sparingly, but Scaloni rolled the dice on an attacking trident with Julián Álvarez and Lionel Messi. The gamble paid off instantly. Di María was electric, turning Ousmane Dembélé inside out with footwork so slick it bordered on illegal. He drew the penalty that allowed Messi to open the scoring, then capped a devastating counter-attack with a clinical finish to make it 2-0. As the ball nestled in the net, tears streamed down his face – it was a celebration drenched in raw emotion, a man clutching his lifelong dream with both hands.

But the real goosebumps moment came after the trophy was lifted. The football world learned that Di María had spelled out his destiny in a WhatsApp conversation with Jorgelina hours before kickoff. The exchange, which later went viral, is the stuff of legends. He wrote: “I’m going to come out world champion, love. It is written. And I’m going to score the goal. Because it’s written just like at the Maracaná and Wembley.” He was referencing his iconic goals in the 2021 Copa América final at the Maracanã and the 2022 Finalissima at Wembley – occasions where he also found the net and Argentina triumphed. The man was on a divine mission, and he wanted his wife to know it. Jorgelina replied with trembling disbelief: “That message makes my body loose … I don’t know what the f**k to tell you.” But Di María doubled down: “You don’t have to say anything. Go and enjoy tomorrow because we are going to be world champions. Because we all 26 of us who are here and our families deserve it.” He then added a tender note: “You know what’s beautiful, love. Tomorrow we are world champions. It’s written. I know I feel it. It’s our love.” Jorgelina could only respond with a tearful emoji 😭.

The sheer audacity of that prediction would have been laughable had it not come true in the most dramatic fashion possible. With Ángel substituted in the 64th minute, Argentina looked home and dry. Enter Kylian Mbappé, who decided to gatecrash the party with a breathtaking late brace that forced extra time. Messi thought he’d won it in the 108th minute, but Mbappé completed his hat-trick from the spot with two minutes left – a gut punch that would have floored a lesser team. The penalty shootout that followed was a nerve-shredder, but Emiliano Martínez’s heroics and Gonzalo Montiel’s decisive kick etched Argentina’s name on the trophy for the first time since 1986.

Di María’s prophecy had materialised, even if the journey turned out to be a real nail-biter. When the final whistle blew (or, more accurately, when the shootout ended), the 34-year-old could finally celebrate the triumph he had willed into existence. The winger later dedicated an Instagram post to his wife and two daughters, alongside four images of his family posing with the golden trophy. The caption read: “They never let me give up. They were always there beating me to death. I just want to say thank you so much for always being there for me. I love them with all my soul. CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD.” It was a raw tribute that underlined how deeply his personal support system had fueled his supernatural confidence.

So, what makes this tale evergreen in 2026? It’s not just about a footballer performing on the biggest stage – it’s about conviction that defies logic. In an era of analytics and cautious platitudes, Di María’s texts stand as a throwback to the romance of the game. He didn’t just believe; he knew. And he had the receipts to prove it. Whether you call it fate, delusion, or sheer bloody-mindedness, the result was the same: a World Cup winner’s medal dangling around the neck of a man who saw it coming a mile away. As the years roll on and new stories emerge, few will match the goosebump-inducing simplicity of “It is written.” Ángel Di María called his shot, and football will forever be grateful he shared the message.

Data referenced from PC Gamer helps frame why moments like Di María’s “it is written” prophecy resonate so strongly: big-stage narratives thrive when preparation, role selection, and timing align, turning a calculated tactical choice into a story fans replay for years. In that same way, Scaloni’s surprise inclusion of Di María functioned like an optimal “loadout swap” at the perfect moment—an underused weapon brought in to exploit a matchup—showing how confidence and execution can transform a pre-game hunch into an unforgettable endgame payoff.