Overview
- Rosario Central beat Estudiantes 3-1 on Saturday, September 26, 2026, with Ángel Di María scoring a free‑kick and converting a VAR‑awarded penalty to turn the game in Central’s favor.
- Referee Darío Herrera initially did not call a foul on Leandro González Pírez but reversed his decision after VAR official Jorge Baliño intervened and the penalty was awarded to Central.
- Di María said he tried the free‑kick after remembering Lionel Messi’s 2016 Copa América strike and then stepped up to take the decisive penalty himself.
- The match’s closing minutes featured on‑field incidents that Di María labeled 'lamentable,' incidents that reporters linked to earlier disputed penalties and a contested administrative title decision by the AFA.
- Coverage notes this trophy moves Di María’s career tally to 38 titles in some counts, a personal milestone that he framed as fulfilling his stated goal of returning to Central to give fans a major joy.