Diego Maradona
Unanswered Questions
Quotations
It was the hand of God! 
World Cup '86, about hand goal made against England.
Yes, I was the best.
1999, about Internet election "The Best Football Player of the Century" beating Pelé.
The ball does not stain.
Reffering to his personal life.
We just rub each other the wrong way.
Speaking on his relationship with Pelé
They have cut my legs off.
After being suspended in 1994 FIFA World Cup
I swear it on the Dalma and the Gianina
His daughters. Almost a hallmark catch-phrase.
Having made that goal with the hand was like stealing their wallet after the Malvinas (Falklands) conflict.
I have played the Barcelona-Real Madrid, but it's nothing like the Boca-River. I feel like my chest burns. It's like sleeping with Julia Roberts|Julia Roberts.
Before a match between Boca Juniors and River Plate in 2006.
At the time I called it the Hand of God. Bollocks was is it the hand of God, it was the hand of Diego and it felt like pickpocketing|pickpocketing the English.
"They can order me to pay him money but they can never order me to love him"
When the courts ordered Maradona to pay his Diego Sinagra|son money. Maradona has always considered his son as the biggest mistake of his life.
Encyclopedia
Diego Armando Maradona (ˈdjeɣo maɾaˈðona; born 30 October 1960) is a retired Argentine football
player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors
, Boca Juniors
, Barcelona
, Napoli
, Sevilla
and Newell's Old Boys
, setting world-record contract fees. In his international career, playing for Argentina
, he earned 91 caps
and scored 34 goals.
He played in four FIFA World Cup
tournaments, including the 1986 tournament, where he captained Argentina and led them to their victory over West Germany
in the final, winning the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player. In that same tournament's quarterfinal round, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England
that entered football history, though for two different reasons. The first goal was via an unpenalized handball known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble through six England players, voted "The Goal of the Century".
Maradona is considered one of the sport's most controversial and newsworthy figures. He was suspended from football for 15 months in 1991 after failing a drug test, for cocaine
, in Italy, and he was sent home from the 1994 World Cup in the USA after testing positive for ephedrine
. After retiring from playing on his 37th birthday in 1997,A SUMMARY OF MARADONA's LIFE www.vivadiego.com. Retrieved 18 August 2006. he gained weight, suffered ill health and the effects of cocaine use. In 2005, a stomach stapling operation helped control his weight gain, and he overcame his cocaine addiction. His outspoken manners have sometimes put him at odds with journalists and sport executives. Although he had little managerial experience, he became head coach of the Argentina national team
in November 2008, and held the job for eighteen months, until his contract expired after the 2010 World Cup
.
, but raised in Villa Fiorito
, a shantytown
on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires
, to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province
. He was the first son after three daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo (el Turco)
and Eduardo (Lalo), both of whom were also professional football players.
At age 10, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighborhood club Estrella Roja. He became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors
. As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions of first division games.
On 20 October 1976, Maradona made his professional debut with Argentinos Juniors, ten days before his sixteenth birthday. He played there between 1976 and 1981, scoring 115 goals in 167 appearances before his £1m transfer to Boca Juniors
. Having joined the Boca squad midway through the 1981 season, Maradona played through 1982 earning his first league championship medal. Whilst playing for Argentinos Juniors, English club Sheffield United put in an offer of £180,000 for his services but the bid was rejected.
, in June, Maradona was transferred to Barcelona
in Spain for a then world record £5m. In 1983, under coach César Luis Menotti
, Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey
(Spain's annual national cup competition), beating Real Madrid
, and the Spanish Super Cup, beating Athletic de Bilbao. However, Maradona had a difficult tenure in Barcelona.That's one hell of a diet, Diego 8 January 2006. Guardian Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 13 August 2006. First a bout with hepatitis
, then a broken ankle caused by an ill-timed tackle by Athletic's Andoni Goikoetxea threatened with jeopardizing Maradona's career, but after treatment and therapy it was possible for him to soon be back on the pitch. At Barcelona, Maradona got into frequent disputes with the team's directors, especially club president Josep Lluís Núñez
, culminating with a demand to be transferred out of Camp Nou
in 1984. He was transferred to Napoli
in Italy's Serie A
for another record fee, £6.9m.
, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career. He quickly became an adored star among the club's fans, and in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history. Led by Maradona, Napoli won their only Serie A Italian Championships
in 1986/87 and 1989/1990, placing second in the league twice, in 1987/88 and 1988/89. Other honors during the Maradona era at Napoli included the Coppa Italia
in 1987, (second place in the Coppa Italia
in 1989), the UEFA Cup
in 1989 and the Italian Supercup
in 1990. Maradona was the top scorer in Serie A
in 1987/88.
During his time in Italy, Maradona's personal problems increased. His cocaine
use continued, and he received US $70,000 in fines from his club for missing games and practices, ostensibly because of 'stress'. He faced a scandal there regarding an illegitimate son
; and he was also the object of some suspicion over an alleged friendship with the Camorra
.
Later on, in honor of Maradona and his achievements during his career at Napoli, the #10 jersey of Napoli was officially retired.
for cocaine
, Maradona left Napoli in disgrace in 1992. Despite interest from Real Madrid
of Spain and Olympique Marseille of France, he signed for Sevilla
of Spain, where he stayed for one year.
In 1993 he played for Newell's Old Boys
and in 1995 he returned to Boca Juniors
for two years.
Maradona also appeared for Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly match against Internazionale, shortly before the 1986 world cup. The match was Osvaldo Ardiles
' testimonial, who insisted his friend Maradona played, which Tottenham won 2–1. He played alongside Glenn Hoddle
, who gave up his number ten shirt for the Argentine. Maradona would go on to dribble past Hoddle during his "goal of the century" against England in the world cup that year.
Along with his time at Napoli
, international football is where Maradona found his fame. Playing for the Albicelestes of the Argentina national football team
, he participated in four consecutive FIFA World Cup
tournaments, leading Argentina to victory in 1986 and to second place in 1990.
He made his full international debut at age 16, against Hungary
on 27 February 1977. At age 18, he played the World Youth Championship
for Argentina, and was the star of the tournament, shining in their 3–1 final win over the Soviet Union
. On 2 June 1979, Maradona scored his first senior international goal in a 3–1 win against Scotland
at Hampden Park
. He is the only player to win the Golden Ball at both the FIFA U-20 World Cup
and FIFA World Cup
, in 1979
and 1986
.
tournament in 1982. In the first round, Argentina, the defending champions, lost to Belgium. Although the team convincingly beat Hungary
and El Salvador
to progress to the second round, they were defeated in the second round by Brazil
and by eventual winners Italy
. Maradona played in all five matches without being substituted, scoring twice against Hungary, but was sent off with 5 minutes remaining in the game against Brazil for serious foul play.
, winning the final in Mexico against West Germany
. Throughout the 1986 World Cup Maradona asserted his dominance and was the most dynamic player of the tournament. He played every minute of every Argentina game, scored 5 goals and made 5 assists. After scoring two goals in the 2–1 quarter-final win against England
his legend was cemented.
This match was played with the background of the Falklands War
between Argentina and the United Kingdom and emotions were still lingering in the air throughout the entire match. Replays showed that the first goal
was scored by striking the ball with his hand. Maradona was coyly evasive, describing it as "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." It became known as the "Hand of God". Ultimately, on 22 August 2005 Maradona acknowledged on his television show that he had hit the ball with his hand purposely, and that he immediately knew the goal was illegitimate. This became known as an international fiasco in World Cup history. The goal stood, much to the wrath of the English players.
Maradona's second goal was later voted by FIFA as the greatest goal in the history of the World Cup. He received the ball in his own half, swivelled around, and with 11 touches ran more than half the length of the field, dribbling past five English outfield players (Peter Beardsley
, Steve Hodge
, Peter Reid
, Terry Butcher
, and Terry Fenwick
) and goalkeeper Peter Shilton
. This goal was voted "Goal of the Century" in a 2002 online poll conducted by FIFA
. Right after the goal occurred, it left the television commentator "sobbing in joy", and apologizing for his outburst.
Maradona followed this with two more goals in the semi-final against Belgium, including another virtuoso dribbling display for the second goal. In the final, the opposing West German
side attempted to contain him by double-marking, but he nevertheless found the space to give the final pass to Jorge Burruchaga
for the winning goal. Argentina beat West Germany 3–2
in front of 115,000 spectators at the Azteca Stadium.
During the course of the tournament, Maradona attempted or created more than half of Argentina's shots, embarked on 90 dribbles some three times more than any other player and was fouled 53 times winning his team twice as many free kicks as any player. Maradona also scored or assisted 10 of Argentina's 14 goals and despite being heavily marked during the final played a crucial part in all three winning goals ensuring that he would be remembered as one of the greatest names in football history.
By the end of the tournament, Maradona went on winning the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament by a unanimous vote and was widely regarded to have won the World Cup virtually single-handedly. In a tribute to him, the Azteca Stadium authorities also built a statue of him scoring the "goal of the century" and placed it at the entrance of the stadium.
. An ankle injury affected his overall performance, and he was much less dominant than four years earlier. Argentina was almost eliminated in the first round, only qualifying in third position from their group. In the round of 16 match against Brazil
, Claudio Caniggia
scored the only goal after being set up by Maradona.
In the quarter final, Argentina faced Yugoslavia
, the match ending 0–0 after 120 minutes, and Argentina advancing on penalty kicks, despite Maradona missing one of the penalties in the shootout with a weak shot at the centre of the goal. The semifinal against the host nation Italy was also resolved on penalties after a 1–1 draw; this time, Maradona was successful with his effort, daringly placing the ball at exactly the same spot as his missed penalty in the previous round. In the final, Argentina lost 1–0 to West Germany, the only goal being a penalty by Andreas Brehme
in the 85th minute after a controversial foul on Rudi Völler
.
Maradona played in only two games, scoring one goal against Greece
, before being sent home after failing a drug test
for ephedrine
doping
. In his autobiography, Maradona argued that the test result was due to his personal trainer giving him the power drink Rip Fuel. His claim was that the U.S. version, unlike the Argentine one, contained the chemical and that, having run out of his Argentine dosage, his trainer unwittingly bought the U.S. formula. FIFA expelled him from USA '94 and Argentina were subsequently eliminated in the second round. Maradona has also separately claimed that he had an agreement with FIFA, on which the organization reneged, to allow him to use the drug for weight loss before the competition in order to be able to play. According to Maradona, this was so that the World Cup would not lose prestige because of his absence. This allegation has never been proven.
. Maradona was a strategist and a team player, as well as highly technical with the ball. He could manage himself effectively in limited spaces, and would attract defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee (as in the second 1986 goal against England), or give an assist to a free teammate. Being short, but strong, he could hold the ball long enough with a defender on his back to wait for a teammate making a run or to find a gap for a quick shot.
One of Maradona's trademark moves was dribbling
full-speed on the right wing, and on reaching the opponent's goal line, delivering accurate passes to his teammates. Another trademark was the Rabona
, a reverse-cross pass shot behind the leg that holds all the weight. This maneuver led to several assists, such as the powerful cross for Ramón Díaz
's header in the 1980 friendly against Switzerland
. He was also a dangerous free kick
taker.
Maradona was dominantly left-footed, often using his left foot even when the ball was positioned more suitably for a right-footed connection. His first goal against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup semi-final is a worthy indicator of such; he had run into the inside right channel to receive a pass but let the ball travel across to his left foot, requiring more technical ability. During his run past several England players in the previous round for the "Goal of the Century", he did not use his right foot once, despite spending the whole movement on the right-hand side of the pitch. In the 1990 World Cup second round tie against Brazil, he did use his right foot to set up the winning goal for Caniggia due to two Brazilian markers forcing him into a position that made use of his left foot less practical.
In 2000, Maradona published his autobiography Yo Soy El Diego ("I am The Diego"), which became an instant bestseller
in his home country. Two years later, Maradona donated the Cuban royalties of his book to "the Cuba
n people and Fidel
."
FIFA
conducted a fan poll on the Internet in 2000, to elect the FIFA Player of the Century
. Maradona finished top of the poll with 53.6% of the vote. Subsequently, however, and contrary to the original announcement of how the award would be decided, FIFA appointed a "Football Family" committee of football experts that voted to award Pelé
the title. Maradona protested at the change in procedure, and declared he would not attend the ceremony if Pelé replaced him. Eventually, two awards were made, one to each of the pair. Maradona accepted his prize, but left the ceremony without waiting to see Pelé receive his accolade.
In 2001, the Argentine Football Association
(AFA) asked FIFA for authorization to retire
the jersey number 10 for Maradona. FIFA did not grant the request, even though Argentine officials have maintained that FIFA hinted that it would.
Maradona has won other fan polls, including a 2002 FIFA poll in which his second goal against England was chosen as the best goal ever scored in a World Cup; he also won the most votes in a poll to determine the All-Time Ultimate World Cup Team.
Argentinos Juniors named its stadium
after Maradona on 26 December 2003.
On 22 June 2005, it was announced that Maradona would return to Boca Juniors
as a sports vice president in charge of managing the First Division roster (after a disappointing 2004–05
season, which coincided with Boca's centenary). His contract began 1 August 2005, and one of his first recommendations proved to be very effective: he was the one who decided to hire Alfio Basile
as the new coach. With Maradona fostering a close relationship with the players, Boca went on to win the 2005 Apertura title, the 2006 Clausura title, the 2005 Copa Sudamericana
and the 2005 Recopa Sudamericana
.
On 15 August 2005, Maradona made his debut as host of a talk-variety show on Argentine television, La Noche del 10
("The Night of the no. 10"). His main guest on opening night was Pelé
; the two had a friendly chat, showing no signs of past differences. However, the show also included a cartoon villain with a clear physical resemblance to Pelé. In subsequent evenings, he led the ratings on all occasions but one. Most guests were drawn from the worlds of football and show business, including Zidane, Ronaldo
and Hernán Crespo
, but also included interviews with other notable personalities such as Fidel Castro
and Mike Tyson
.
On 26 August 2006, it was announced that Maradona was quitting his position in the club Boca Juniors because of disagreements with the AFA, who selected Basile to be the new coach of the Argentina national football team
.
The award-winning Serbia
n filmmaker Emir Kusturica
made a documentary about Maradona's life, entitled Maradona
.
In May 2006, Maradona agreed to take part in UK's Soccer Aid
(a program to raise money for Unicef). In September 2006, Maradona, in his famous blue and white number 10, was the captain for Argentina in a three-day World Cup of Indoor Football tournament in Spain.
Also in 2006, Diego Maradona was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador of IIMSAM
the Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-algae Spirulina
Against Malnutrition.
On 22 March 2010, Maradona was chosen number 1 in The Greatest 10 World Cup
players of all time by The Times
, a London based newspaper.
midfield team mate Carlos Fren
. The pair led Mandiyú
of Corrientes
(1994) and Racing Club
(1995), but with little success.
coach Alfio Basile
in 2008, Diego Maradona immediately proposed his candidacy for the vacant role. According to several press sources, his major challengers included Diego Simeone, Carlos Bianchi
, Miguel Ángel Russo
and Sergio Batista
.
On 29 October 2008, AFA chairman Julio Grondona
confirmed that Maradona would be the head coach of the national side from December 2008. On 19 November 2008, Diego Maradona managed Argentina for the first time when Argentina played against Scotland
at Hampden Park
in Glasgow which Argentina won 1–0.
After winning his first three matches in charge of the national team, he oversaw a 6–1 defeat to Bolivia
, equalling the team's worst ever margin of defeat. With two matches remaining in the qualification tournament
for the 2010 World Cup, Argentina was in fifth place and faced the possibility of failing to qualify, but victory in the last two matches secured qualification for the finals.
After Argentina's qualification, Maradona used abusive language at the live post-game press conference, telling members of the media to "suck it and keep on sucking it". FIFA responded with a two month ban on all footballing activity, which expired on 15 January 2010, and a CHF
25,000 fine, with a warning as to his future conduct. The friendly match scheduled to take place at home to the on 15 December, during the period of the ban, was cancelled. The only match Argentina played during Maradona's ban was a friendly away to , which Argentina lost 4–2.
At the World Cup finals
in June 2010, Argentina started by winning 1–0 against Nigeria
, and then defeated South Korea
by 4–1, with a hat-trick from Gonzalo Higuain
. In the final match of the group stage Argentina won 2–0 against Greece
to win their the group and advance to a second round meeting with Mexico
. After defeating Mexico 3–1, Argentina was in turn routed by Germany
, 4–0 in the quarter finals to go out of the competition. Argentina was ranked 5th in the tournament. After the defeat to Germany Maradona admitted that he was considering his future as Argentina coach, "I may leave tomorrow," he said. On 15 July 2010, the Argentine Football Association said that he would be offered a new 4 year deal that would keep him in charge through to the summer of 2014 when Brazil stages the World Cup
, however on 27 July the AFA announced that its board had unanimously decided not to renew his contract. Afterwards on 29 July 2010, Maradona claimed that AFA president Julio Grondona
and director of national teams Carlos Bilardo
had "lied to" and "betrayed" and effectively sacked him from the role. Saying "they wanted me to continue, but seven of my staff should not go on, if he told me that, it meant he did not want me to keep working".
extraction. His maternal great-grandfather Mateo Kariolić was born in Korčula
, Dalmatia
, today's Croatia
(possibly then in the Austrian Empire), and emigrated to Argentina, where Maradona's grandmother Salvadora was born. Salvadora named her daughter Dalma after the Croatian region, after whom Maradona named his eldest daughter.
Maradona married long-time fiancée Claudia Villafañe on 7 November 1989 in Buenos Aires, after the birth of their daughters, Dalma Nerea (born on 2 April 1987) and Giannina Dinorah (born on 16 May 1989), by whom he became a grandfather in 2009. In his autobiography, Maradona admits he was not always faithful to Claudia, even though he refers to her as the love of his life.
Maradona and Villafañe divorce
d in 2004. Daughter Dalma has since asserted that the divorce was the best solution for all, as her parents remained on friendly terms. They traveled together to Napoli for a series of homages in June 2005 and were seen together on many other occasions, including the Argentina matches during 2006 FIFA World Cup
.
During the divorce proceedings, Maradona admitted he was the father of Diego Sinagra
(born in Naples on 20 September 1986). The Italian courts had already so ruled in 1993, after Maradona refused to undergo DNA tests for proving or disproving his paternity. Diego Jr. met Maradona for the first time in May 2003 after tricking his way onto a golf course in Italy where Maradona was playing.
After the divorce, Claudia embarked on a career as a theatre producer, and Dalma was seeking an acting career; she had expressed her desire to attend the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles.
His younger daughter, Giannina, is now engaged to Manchester City striker Sergio Agüero
, with whom she has a son, Benjamin, born in Madrid on 19 February 2009. His son Diego Sinagra
is a footballer in Italy
His mother, Dalma, died on 19th November 2011. Diego was in Dubai at the time, and desperately tried to fly back in time to see her, but was too late. She was 81 years old.
. He allegedly began using the drug in Barcelona in 1983. By the time he was playing for Napoli he had a regular addiction, which began to interfere with his ability to play football.
Over the years following his retirement his health seriously deteriorated. On 4 January 2000, while vacationing in Punta del Este
, Uruguay, Maradona had to be rushed to the emergency room of a local clinic. In a press conference, doctors stated that it was detected heart muscle damage due to "an underlying health issue". It was later known that traces of cocaine were found in his blood and Maradona had to explain the circumstances to the police. After this he left Argentina and went to Cuba in order to follow a drug rehab plan.
On 18 April 2004, doctors reported that Maradona had suffered a major myocardial infarction
following a cocaine overdose; he was admitted to intensive care in a Buenos Aires hospital. Scores of fans gathered around the clinic. He was taken off the respirator
on 23 April and remained in intensive care for several days before being discharged on 29 April. He tried to return to Cuba, where he had spent most of his time in the years leading up to the heart attack, but his family opposed, having filed a judicial petition to exercise his legal guardianship.
Maradona had a tendency to put on weight, and suffered increasingly from obesity
from the end of his playing career until undergoing gastric bypass surgery
in a clinic in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia on 6 March 2005. His surgeon said that Maradona would follow a liquid diet for three months in order to return back his normal weight. When Maradona resumed public appearances shortly thereafter, he displayed a notably thinner figure.
On 29 March 2007, Maradona was readmitted to a hospital in Buenos Aires. He was treated for hepatitis
and effects of alcohol abuse
, and was released on 11 April, but re-admitted two days later. In the following days there were constant rumors about his health, including three false claims of his death within a month. After transfer to a psychiatric clinic specialising in alcohol-related problems, he was discharged on 7 May.
On 8 May 2007, Maradona appeared on Argentine television and stated that he had quit drinking and had not used drugs in two and a half years.
ideologies. Before that he had been vocal in his support of neoliberal Argentina President Carlos Menem
, and especially of his Harvard University
-educated economist Domingo Cavallo
. He became friends with Cuban leader Fidel Castro
while receiving treatment on the island. He also has a portrait of Fidel Castro tattoo
ed on his left leg and one of Fidel's second in command, fellow Argentine Che Guevara
on his right arm. In his autobiography 'El Diego' he dedicated the book to several people and groups of people including Fidel Castro, he wrote "To Fidel Castro and, through him, all the Cuban people
".
Maradona is also a supporter of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez
. In 2005 he visited Venezuela with the specific aim of meeting Chávez, who received him in Miraflores. After this meeting Maradona claimed that he had come with the aim of meeting a "great man" ("un grande" in Spanish) but he had met instead a gigantic man ("un gigante" in Spanish, meaning he was more than great).
"I believe in Chávez, I am Chavista. Everything Fidel does, everything Chávez does, for me is the best."
He has declared his opposition to what he identifies as imperialism
, notably during the 2005 Summit of the Americas
in Mar del Plata
, Argentina. There he protested George W. Bush
's presence in Argentina, wearing a T-shirt labeled "STOP BUSH" (with the "s" in "Bush" being a swastika
) and referring to Bush as "human garbage".
In August 2007, Maradona went further, making an appearance on Chávez's weekly television show and saying: "I hate everything that comes from the United States. I hate it with all my strength."
In December 2007, Maradona presented a signed shirt with a message of support to the people of Iran
: it is to be displayed in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' museum.
In Argentina
, Maradona is considerer a symbol, a “Sport hero”. He is idolized, receiving the name of “God”. About this idolatry that exists in Argentina over Maradona, his former teammate Jorge Valdano said: "At the time that Maradona retired from active football, left traumatized Argentina. Maradona was more than just a great footballer. It was a special compensation factor for a country that in a few years lived several military dictatorships and social frustrations of all kinds". Valdano added that "Maradona offered to the Argentines way out of their collective frustration, and that's why people love him. There is a divine figure."
Ever since 1986, it is common for Argentines abroad to hear Maradona's name as a token of recognition, even in remote places. The Tartan Army
sing a version of the Hokey Cokey in honour of the Hand of God goal against England. In Argentina, Maradona is often talked about in terms reserved for legends. In the Argentine film El Hijo de la Novia
("Son of the Bride"), somebody who impersonates a Catholic priest says to a bar patron: "they idolized him and then crucified him". When a friend scolds him for taking the prank too far, the fake priest retorts: "But I was talking about Maradona". He's the subject of the film El Camino de San Diego
, though he himself only appears in archive footage.
Maradona was included in many cameo
s in the Argentine comic book El Cazador de Aventuras
. After the closing of it, the authors started a new short-lived comic book titled "El Die", using Maradona as the main character.
In Rosario, Argentina, locals organized the parody religion
of the "Church of Maradona
". The organization reformulates many elements from Christian tradition, such as Christmas or prayers, reflecting instead details from Maradona. It had 200 founding members, tens of thousands more have become members via the church's official web site.
Many Argentine artists performed songs in tribute to Diego, like: "Maradó" by El Potro Rodrigo
, "Maradona" by Andrés Calamaro
, "Para siempre Diego" (Diego forever) by Los Ratones Paranoicos
, "Para verte gambetear" (For seeing you dribble) by La Guardia Hereje, "Francotirador" (Sniper) by Attaque 77
, "Dale Diez" (C'mon Diez) by Julio Lacarra, "Maradona blues" by Charly García
, "Santa Maradona" (Saint Maradona) by Mano Negra
, "Si yo fuera Maradona" (If I Were Maradona) by Manu Chao
, among others.
And many films, like: Maradona, La Mano de Dios (Maradona, the Hand of God), El Camino de San Diego (Saint Diego's Road), Amando a Maradona (Loving Maradona), Maradona by Kusturica, etc.
A television commercial for Brazilian soft drink Guaraná Antarctica
portrayed Maradona as a member of the Brazilian national football team, including wearing the yellow jersey and singing the Brazilian national anthem with Brazilian caps Kaká
and Ronaldo
. Later on in the commercial he wakes up realizing it was a nightmare after having drunk too much of the Brazilian soft drink. This generated some controversy in the Argentine media after its release (although the commercial was not supposed to air on the Argentine market, fans could see it via internet). Maradona replied that he has no problem in wearing the Brazilian national squad jersey, but that he would refuse to wear the shirt of River Plate, Boca Juniors' traditional rival.
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!rowspan="2"|League
!colspan="2"|League
!colspan="2"|Cup
!colspan="2"|Continental
!colspan="2"|Other
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|1976||rowspan="5"|Argentinos Juniors
||rowspan="6"|Primera División||11||2||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||11||2
|-
|1977||49||19||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||49||19
|-
|1978||35||25||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||35||25
|-
|1979||27||26||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||27||26
|-
|1980||45||43||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||45||43
|-
|1981||Boca Juniors
||40||28||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||40||28
|-
|1982–83||rowspan="2"|Barcelona
||rowspan="2"|La Liga
||20||11||5||3||4||5||6||4||35||23
|-
|1983–84||16||11||4||1||3||3||colspan="2"|–||23||15
|-
|1984–85||rowspan="7"|Napoli
||rowspan="7"|Serie A
||30||14||6||3||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||36||17
|-
|1985–86||29||11||2||2||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||31||13
|-
|1986–87||29||10||10||7||2||0||colspan="2"|–||41||17
|-
|1987–88||28||15||9||6||2||0||colspan="2"|–||39||21
|-
|1988–89||26||9||12||7||12||3||colspan="2"|–||50||19
|-
|1989–90||28||16||3||2||5||0||colspan="2"|–||36||18
|-
|1990–91||18||6||3||2||4||2||1||0||26||10
|-
|1992–93||Sevilla
||La Liga
||26||5||3||3||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||29||8
|-
|1993–94||Newell's Old Boys
||rowspan="4"|Primera División||5||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||5||0
|-
|1995–96||rowspan="3"|Boca Juniors
||24||5||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||24||5
|-
|1996–97||1||0||colspan="2"|–||1||0||colspan="2"|–||2||0
|-
|1997–98||5||2||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||5||2
242||150||colspan="2"|–||1||0||colspan="2"|–||242||151
62||27||12||7||7||8||6||4||87||46
188||81||45||29||25||5||1||0||259||115
492||258||57||36||33||13||7||4||589||311
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align: center;"
|-
|1977||3||0
|-
|1978||1||0
|-
|1979||8||3
|-
|1980||10||7
|-
|1981||2||1
|-
|1982||10||2
|-
|1983||0||0
|-
|1984||0||0
|-
|1985||10||6
|-
|1986||10||7
|-
|1987||6||4
|-
|1988||3||1
|-
|1989||7||0
|-
|1990||10||1
|-
|1991||0||0
|-
|1992||0||0
|-
|1993||4||0
|-
|1994||7||2
|-
!Total||91||34
|}
|-
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|Nat
!rowspan="2"|From
!rowspan="2"|To
!colspan="5"|Record
|-
!P!!W!!L!!D!!Win %
|-
|align=left|Mandiyú de Corrientes
|align=left|
Argentina
|align=left|January 1994
|align=left|June 1994
|12||1||6||5||
|-
|align=left|Racing Club
|align=left| Argentina
|align=left|May 1995
|align=left|November 1995
|11||2||6||3||
|-
|align=left|Argentina
|align=left| Argentina
|align=left|November 2008
|align=left|July 2010
|19||14||5||0||
|-
|align=left|Al Wasl FC
|align=left|
United Arab Emirates
|align=left|May 2011
|align=left|Present
|5||3||1||1||
|}
Argentina Boca Juniors
Spain Barcelona
Italy Napoli
Football in Argentina
Football in Argentina is the most popular sport, the one with the most players and is the most popular recreational sport, played from childhood into old age...
player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors
Argentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine football club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. Founded on August 15, 1904, the club was originally called the “Martyrs of Chicago”, in homage to the eight anarchists imprisoned or hanged after the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.-Early...
, Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
, Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
, Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
and Newell's Old Boys
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...
, setting world-record contract fees. In his international career, playing for Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, he earned 91 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
and scored 34 goals.
He played in four FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
tournaments, including the 1986 tournament, where he captained Argentina and led them to their victory over West Germany
1986 FIFA World Cup Final
- External links :**...
in the final, winning the Golden Ball award as the tournament's best player. In that same tournament's quarterfinal round, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
that entered football history, though for two different reasons. The first goal was via an unpenalized handball known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble through six England players, voted "The Goal of the Century".
Maradona is considered one of the sport's most controversial and newsworthy figures. He was suspended from football for 15 months in 1991 after failing a drug test, for cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, in Italy, and he was sent home from the 1994 World Cup in the USA after testing positive for ephedrine
Ephedrine
Ephedrine is a sympathomimetic amine commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, decongestant, and to treat hypotension associated with anaesthesia....
. After retiring from playing on his 37th birthday in 1997,A SUMMARY OF MARADONA's LIFE www.vivadiego.com. Retrieved 18 August 2006. he gained weight, suffered ill health and the effects of cocaine use. In 2005, a stomach stapling operation helped control his weight gain, and he overcame his cocaine addiction. His outspoken manners have sometimes put him at odds with journalists and sport executives. Although he had little managerial experience, he became head coach of the Argentina national team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
in November 2008, and held the job for eighteen months, until his contract expired after the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
Early years
Maradona was born in LanúsLanús
Lanús is the capital of Lanús Partido, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. It lies just south of the capital city Buenos Aires, in the Greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area. The city has a population of 212,152 , and the Partido de Lanús has a total population of 453,500.A major industrial centre,...
, but raised in Villa Fiorito
Villa Fiorito
Fiorito is a suburb in the Lomas de Zamora Partido of Buenos Aires Province, to the south of central Buenos Aires, Argentina. It forms part of the Greater Buenos Aires urban conurbation. Many Italian and Spanish descendants live there, but in recent decades people from other provinces have come to...
, a shantytown
Villa miseria
A villa miseria is a form of shanty town or slum found in Argentina, mostly around the largest urban settlements. The term is a compound noun made of the Spanish words villa "village, small town" and miseria "misery, dejection"...
on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province
Corrientes Province
Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
. He was the first son after three daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo (el Turco)
Hugo Maradona
Hugo Hernán Maradona , also known as El Turco, is an Argentine Association football coach and former player. He played for clubs in South America, Europe, Japan, and Canada, and was a member of the Argentine U-16 national team.-Career:...
and Eduardo (Lalo), both of whom were also professional football players.
At age 10, Maradona was spotted by a talent scout while he was playing in his neighborhood club Estrella Roja. He became a staple of Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors
Argentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine football club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. Founded on August 15, 1904, the club was originally called the “Martyrs of Chicago”, in homage to the eight anarchists imprisoned or hanged after the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.-Early...
. As a 12-year-old ball boy, he amused spectators by showing his wizardry with the ball during the halftime intermissions of first division games.
Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
. Having joined the Boca squad midway through the 1981 season, Maradona played through 1982 earning his first league championship medal. Whilst playing for Argentinos Juniors, English club Sheffield United put in an offer of £180,000 for his services but the bid was rejected.
FC Barcelona
After the 1982 World Cup1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
, in June, Maradona was transferred to Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
in Spain for a then world record £5m. In 1983, under coach César Luis Menotti
César Luis Menotti
César Luis Menotti, known as El Flaco is an Argentine football coach and former player, who as coach, won the 1978 FIFA World Cup for Argentina.-Playing career:...
, Barcelona and Maradona won the Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
(Spain's annual national cup competition), beating Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, and the Spanish Super Cup, beating Athletic de Bilbao. However, Maradona had a difficult tenure in Barcelona.That's one hell of a diet, Diego 8 January 2006. Guardian Newspapers Limited. Retrieved 13 August 2006. First a bout with hepatitis
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
, then a broken ankle caused by an ill-timed tackle by Athletic's Andoni Goikoetxea threatened with jeopardizing Maradona's career, but after treatment and therapy it was possible for him to soon be back on the pitch. At Barcelona, Maradona got into frequent disputes with the team's directors, especially club president Josep Lluís Núñez
Josep Lluís Nuñez
Josep Lluís Núñez i Clemente was president of FC Barcelona between 1978 and 2000. Núñez also owns the Núñez i Navarro construction company and Núñez i Navarro Hotels chain. He was elected club president on 1 July 1978 despite having no previous connection with the club...
, culminating with a demand to be transferred out of Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
in 1984. He was transferred to Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
in Italy's Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
for another record fee, £6.9m.
Napoli
At NapoliS.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career. He quickly became an adored star among the club's fans, and in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history. Led by Maradona, Napoli won their only Serie A Italian Championships
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
in 1986/87 and 1989/1990, placing second in the league twice, in 1987/88 and 1988/89. Other honors during the Maradona era at Napoli included the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
in 1987, (second place in the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
in 1989), the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
in 1989 and the Italian Supercup
Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
in 1990. Maradona was the top scorer in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
in 1987/88.
During his time in Italy, Maradona's personal problems increased. His cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
use continued, and he received US $70,000 in fines from his club for missing games and practices, ostensibly because of 'stress'. He faced a scandal there regarding an illegitimate son
Diego Sinagra
Diego Armando Maradona Sinagra is an Italian footballer and beach soccer player, currently plays for U.S. Arzanese-Biography:...
; and he was also the object of some suspicion over an alleged friendship with the Camorra
Camorra
The Camorra is a Mafia-type criminal organization, or secret society, originating in the region of Campania and its capital Naples in Italy. It is one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations in Italy, dating to the 18th century.-Background:...
.
Later on, in honor of Maradona and his achievements during his career at Napoli, the #10 jersey of Napoli was officially retired.
Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys and Boca Juniors
After serving a 15-month ban for failing a drug testDrug test
A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen – for example urine, hair, blood, sweat, or oral fluid / saliva – to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites...
for cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, Maradona left Napoli in disgrace in 1992. Despite interest from Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
of Spain and Olympique Marseille of France, he signed for Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
of Spain, where he stayed for one year.
In 1993 he played for Newell's Old Boys
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...
and in 1995 he returned to Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
for two years.
Maradona also appeared for Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly match against Internazionale, shortly before the 1986 world cup. The match was Osvaldo Ardiles
Osvaldo Ardiles
Osvaldo César Ardiles , often referred to in Britain as Ossie Ardiles, is a football coach, pundit and former midfielder who won the 1978 World Cup as part of the Argentine national team...
' testimonial, who insisted his friend Maradona played, which Tottenham won 2–1. He played alongside Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle
Glenn Hoddle is an English former footballer and manager who played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Chelsea and Swindon Town and at international level for England....
, who gave up his number ten shirt for the Argentine. Maradona would go on to dribble past Hoddle during his "goal of the century" against England in the world cup that year.
International career
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
, international football is where Maradona found his fame. Playing for the Albicelestes of the Argentina national football team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, he participated in four consecutive FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
tournaments, leading Argentina to victory in 1986 and to second place in 1990.
He made his full international debut at age 16, against Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
on 27 February 1977. At age 18, he played the World Youth Championship
1979 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship, the second staging of the FIFA World Youth Championship, was held in Japan from August 26 to September 7, 1979. The tournament took place in four venues — Kobe, Omiya, Tokyo and Yokohama — where a total of 32 matches were played, four more than in the...
for Argentina, and was the star of the tournament, shining in their 3–1 final win over the Soviet Union
USSR national football team
The Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
. On 2 June 1979, Maradona scored his first senior international goal in a 3–1 win against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
. He is the only player to win the Golden Ball at both the FIFA U-20 World Cup
FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
and FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, in 1979
1979 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship, the second staging of the FIFA World Youth Championship, was held in Japan from August 26 to September 7, 1979. The tournament took place in four venues — Kobe, Omiya, Tokyo and Yokohama — where a total of 32 matches were played, four more than in the...
and 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
.
1982 World Cup
Maradona played his first World Cup1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
tournament in 1982. In the first round, Argentina, the defending champions, lost to Belgium. Although the team convincingly beat Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
and El Salvador
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
to progress to the second round, they were defeated in the second round by Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
and by eventual winners Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. Maradona played in all five matches without being substituted, scoring twice against Hungary, but was sent off with 5 minutes remaining in the game against Brazil for serious foul play.
1986 World Cup
Maradona captained the Argentine national team to victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
, winning the final in Mexico against West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. Throughout the 1986 World Cup Maradona asserted his dominance and was the most dynamic player of the tournament. He played every minute of every Argentina game, scored 5 goals and made 5 assists. After scoring two goals in the 2–1 quarter-final win against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
his legend was cemented.
This match was played with the background of the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
between Argentina and the United Kingdom and emotions were still lingering in the air throughout the entire match. Replays showed that the first goal
Goal (sport)
Goal refers to a method of scoring in many sports. It can also refer to the physical structure or area of the playing surface where scoring occurs....
was scored by striking the ball with his hand. Maradona was coyly evasive, describing it as "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." It became known as the "Hand of God". Ultimately, on 22 August 2005 Maradona acknowledged on his television show that he had hit the ball with his hand purposely, and that he immediately knew the goal was illegitimate. This became known as an international fiasco in World Cup history. The goal stood, much to the wrath of the English players.
Maradona's second goal was later voted by FIFA as the greatest goal in the history of the World Cup. He received the ball in his own half, swivelled around, and with 11 touches ran more than half the length of the field, dribbling past five English outfield players (Peter Beardsley
Peter Beardsley
Peter Andrew Beardsley MBE is an English former footballer who played between 1979 and 1999. He once set a record transfer fee in the game and represented his country 59 times between 1986 and 1996, once as captain...
, Steve Hodge
Steve Hodge
Stephen Brian Hodge is a retired English footballer who enjoyed a high-profile club and international career in the 1980s and 1990s.- Playing career :...
, Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
, Terry Butcher
Terry Butcher
Terence Ian "Terry" Butcher is an English football manager and former player. He was a highly successful football player and made his name as an uncompromising defender with Ipswich Town and Rangers in the 1980s. He was also a captain of England and won 77 caps in a ten-year international career...
, and Terry Fenwick
Terry Fenwick
Terence William 'Terry' Fenwick is an English football coach and former player. He is the current head coach for San Juan Jabloteh of the TT Pro League in Trinidad and Tobago.- Player :...
) and goalkeeper Peter Shilton
Peter Shilton
Peter Leslie Shilton OBE is a former English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He currently holds the record for playing more games for England than anyone else, earning 125 caps....
. This goal was voted "Goal of the Century" in a 2002 online poll conducted by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
. Right after the goal occurred, it left the television commentator "sobbing in joy", and apologizing for his outburst.
Maradona followed this with two more goals in the semi-final against Belgium, including another virtuoso dribbling display for the second goal. In the final, the opposing West German
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
side attempted to contain him by double-marking, but he nevertheless found the space to give the final pass to Jorge Burruchaga
Jorge Burruchaga
Jorge Luis Burruchaga is a former Argentine professional football player, and last manager of Arsenal de Sarandí in the Primera División Argentina...
for the winning goal. Argentina beat West Germany 3–2
1986 FIFA World Cup Final
- External links :**...
in front of 115,000 spectators at the Azteca Stadium.
During the course of the tournament, Maradona attempted or created more than half of Argentina's shots, embarked on 90 dribbles some three times more than any other player and was fouled 53 times winning his team twice as many free kicks as any player. Maradona also scored or assisted 10 of Argentina's 14 goals and despite being heavily marked during the final played a crucial part in all three winning goals ensuring that he would be remembered as one of the greatest names in football history.
By the end of the tournament, Maradona went on winning the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament by a unanimous vote and was widely regarded to have won the World Cup virtually single-handedly. In a tribute to him, the Azteca Stadium authorities also built a statue of him scoring the "goal of the century" and placed it at the entrance of the stadium.
1990 World Cup
Maradona captained Argentina again in the 1990 FIFA World Cup1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
. An ankle injury affected his overall performance, and he was much less dominant than four years earlier. Argentina was almost eliminated in the first round, only qualifying in third position from their group. In the round of 16 match against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, Claudio Caniggia
Claudio Caniggia
Claudio Paul Caniggia is a former Argentine football forward, who played 50 times for the Argentine national team. He appeared in three World Cups, and was a member of both rival clubs River Plate and Boca Juniors. Caniggia was known for his speed as a player and competed in Athletics before his...
scored the only goal after being set up by Maradona.
In the quarter final, Argentina faced Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
, the match ending 0–0 after 120 minutes, and Argentina advancing on penalty kicks, despite Maradona missing one of the penalties in the shootout with a weak shot at the centre of the goal. The semifinal against the host nation Italy was also resolved on penalties after a 1–1 draw; this time, Maradona was successful with his effort, daringly placing the ball at exactly the same spot as his missed penalty in the previous round. In the final, Argentina lost 1–0 to West Germany, the only goal being a penalty by Andreas Brehme
Andreas Brehme
Andreas "Andy" Brehme is a German football coach and former football defender. He is best known for scoring the winning goal for Germany in the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final against Argentina on a 85th minute penalty kick....
in the 85th minute after a controversial foul on Rudi Völler
Rudi Völler
Rudolf 'Rudi' Völler is a German former international football striker, and a former manager of the German national team...
.
1994 World Cup
At the 1994 FIFA World Cup1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
Maradona played in only two games, scoring one goal against Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
, before being sent home after failing a drug test
Drug test
A drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen – for example urine, hair, blood, sweat, or oral fluid / saliva – to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites...
for ephedrine
Ephedrine
Ephedrine is a sympathomimetic amine commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, decongestant, and to treat hypotension associated with anaesthesia....
doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
. In his autobiography, Maradona argued that the test result was due to his personal trainer giving him the power drink Rip Fuel. His claim was that the U.S. version, unlike the Argentine one, contained the chemical and that, having run out of his Argentine dosage, his trainer unwittingly bought the U.S. formula. FIFA expelled him from USA '94 and Argentina were subsequently eliminated in the second round. Maradona has also separately claimed that he had an agreement with FIFA, on which the organization reneged, to allow him to use the drug for weight loss before the competition in order to be able to play. According to Maradona, this was so that the World Cup would not lose prestige because of his absence. This allegation has never been proven.
Playing style
Maradona had a compact physique and could withstand physical pressure well. His strong legs and low center of gravity gave him an advantage in short sprints. His physical strengths were illustrated by his two goals against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
. Maradona was a strategist and a team player, as well as highly technical with the ball. He could manage himself effectively in limited spaces, and would attract defenders only to quickly dash out of the melee (as in the second 1986 goal against England), or give an assist to a free teammate. Being short, but strong, he could hold the ball long enough with a defender on his back to wait for a teammate making a run or to find a gap for a quick shot.
One of Maradona's trademark moves was dribbling
Dribbling
In sports, dribbling refers to the maneuvering of a ball around a defender through short skillful taps or kicks with either the legs , hands , stick or swimming strokes...
full-speed on the right wing, and on reaching the opponent's goal line, delivering accurate passes to his teammates. Another trademark was the Rabona
Rabona
In association football, the rabona is a method of kicking the football whereby the kicking leg is wrapped around the back of the standing leg—effectively with one's legs crossed....
, a reverse-cross pass shot behind the leg that holds all the weight. This maneuver led to several assists, such as the powerful cross for Ramón Díaz
Ramón Díaz
Ramón Ángel Díaz , is a former Argentine football player. For most of his career, he played for, and later coached, Club Atlético River Plate. He is also known by the nickname of El Pelado ....
's header in the 1980 friendly against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
. He was also a dangerous free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
taker.
Maradona was dominantly left-footed, often using his left foot even when the ball was positioned more suitably for a right-footed connection. His first goal against Belgium in the 1986 World Cup semi-final is a worthy indicator of such; he had run into the inside right channel to receive a pass but let the ball travel across to his left foot, requiring more technical ability. During his run past several England players in the previous round for the "Goal of the Century", he did not use his right foot once, despite spending the whole movement on the right-hand side of the pitch. In the 1990 World Cup second round tie against Brazil, he did use his right foot to set up the winning goal for Caniggia due to two Brazilian markers forcing him into a position that made use of his left foot less practical.
Retirement and honours
Hounded for years by the press, Maradona once fired a compressed-air rifle at reporters who he claimed were invading his privacy. This quote from former teammate Jorge Valdano summarizes the feelings of many:In 2000, Maradona published his autobiography Yo Soy El Diego ("I am The Diego"), which became an instant bestseller
Bestseller
A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
in his home country. Two years later, Maradona donated the Cuban royalties of his book to "the Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n people and Fidel
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
."
FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
conducted a fan poll on the Internet in 2000, to elect the FIFA Player of the Century
FIFA Player of the Century
FIFA Player of the Century was a one-off award created by FIFA to decide the greatest football player of the 20th century. Pele shared the honour with Diego Maradona...
. Maradona finished top of the poll with 53.6% of the vote. Subsequently, however, and contrary to the original announcement of how the award would be decided, FIFA appointed a "Football Family" committee of football experts that voted to award Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
the title. Maradona protested at the change in procedure, and declared he would not attend the ceremony if Pelé replaced him. Eventually, two awards were made, one to each of the pair. Maradona accepted his prize, but left the ceremony without waiting to see Pelé receive his accolade.
Argentine Football Association
The Argentine Football Association is the governing body of football in Argentina. It organises the Argentine football league and the Argentina national football team. It is based in Buenos Aires...
(AFA) asked FIFA for authorization to retire
Retired numbers in football (soccer)
Association football clubs around the world sometimes retire squad numbers to recognise players' loyal service, sometimes as a memorial after their death.-Background:...
the jersey number 10 for Maradona. FIFA did not grant the request, even though Argentine officials have maintained that FIFA hinted that it would.
Maradona has won other fan polls, including a 2002 FIFA poll in which his second goal against England was chosen as the best goal ever scored in a World Cup; he also won the most votes in a poll to determine the All-Time Ultimate World Cup Team.
Argentinos Juniors named its stadium
Estadio Diego Armando Maradona
Estadio Diego Armando Maradona is a football venue in the La Paternal neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the home of Argentinos Juniors football club....
after Maradona on 26 December 2003.
On 22 June 2005, it was announced that Maradona would return to Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
as a sports vice president in charge of managing the First Division roster (after a disappointing 2004–05
2004-2005 in Argentine football
The 2004-05 Argentine First Division season saw Américo Gallego's Newell's Old Boys win the Apertura title after a fierce battle against Vélez Sársfield for the supremacy...
season, which coincided with Boca's centenary). His contract began 1 August 2005, and one of his first recommendations proved to be very effective: he was the one who decided to hire Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile , known as Coco, is an Argentine football coach and former player.-Playing career:Basile started his playing career at the Bella Vista club in his home city. From 1964 to 1970 he played for Racing Club, and then for Huracán, where he was a mainstay of the 1973 Metropolitano champions...
as the new coach. With Maradona fostering a close relationship with the players, Boca went on to win the 2005 Apertura title, the 2006 Clausura title, the 2005 Copa Sudamericana
Copa Sudamericana 2005
The 2005 Copa Nissan Sudamericana de Clubes was international football cup competition played annually by clubs of CONMEBOL and, starting with this edition, invited teams from CONCACAF...
and the 2005 Recopa Sudamericana
Recopa Sudamericana 2005
The 2005 Recopa Sudamericana was the 13th Recopa Sudamericana, an annual football match between the winners of the previous season's Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana competitions...
.
On 15 August 2005, Maradona made his debut as host of a talk-variety show on Argentine television, La Noche del 10
La Noche del 10
La Noche del 10 was an Argentine television show hosted by Diego Maradona....
("The Night of the no. 10"). His main guest on opening night was Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
; the two had a friendly chat, showing no signs of past differences. However, the show also included a cartoon villain with a clear physical resemblance to Pelé. In subsequent evenings, he led the ratings on all occasions but one. Most guests were drawn from the worlds of football and show business, including Zidane, Ronaldo
Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the...
and Hernán Crespo
Hernán Crespo
Hernán Jorge Crespo is an Argentine footballer who plays for Parma in the Italian Serie A. Crespo has scored over 300 goals in a career spanning 18 years. His honors include an Olympic Games silver medal, a Copa Libertadores, an English Premier League title and three Scudettos. He was topscorer in...
, but also included interviews with other notable personalities such as Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
and Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
.
On 26 August 2006, it was announced that Maradona was quitting his position in the club Boca Juniors because of disagreements with the AFA, who selected Basile to be the new coach of the Argentina national football team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
.
The award-winning Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n filmmaker Emir Kusturica
Emir Kusturica
Emir Nemanja Kusturica , is a Serbian filmmaker, actor and musician, recognized for several internationally acclaimed feature films...
made a documentary about Maradona's life, entitled Maradona
Maradona (film)
Maradona by Kusturica is a documentary on the life of Argentine footballer Diego Maradona, directed by the award-winning Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica...
.
In May 2006, Maradona agreed to take part in UK's Soccer Aid
Soccer Aid
-Event schedule:*22 May 2006 – Start of the television coverage, presented by Ant and Dec. Rest of the World defeats England in a penalty shoot-out*23 May 2006 – Practice match: England 1–0 England Legends...
(a program to raise money for Unicef). In September 2006, Maradona, in his famous blue and white number 10, was the captain for Argentina in a three-day World Cup of Indoor Football tournament in Spain.
Also in 2006, Diego Maradona was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador of IIMSAM
IIMSAM
The Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro‐algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition is an intergovernmental organization based in New York City that has a Permanent Intergovernmental Observer status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.-Purpose:IIMSAM has been established...
the Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-algae Spirulina
Spirulina
Spirulina may refer to:* Spirulina , a health-food supplement* Spirulina , a cyanobacterium group* Ochthephila spirulina, species of gastropod in the Hygromiidae family...
Against Malnutrition.
On 22 March 2010, Maradona was chosen number 1 in The Greatest 10 World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
players of all time by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, a London based newspaper.
Club management
He attempted to work as a coach alongside former Argentinos JuniorsArgentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine football club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. Founded on August 15, 1904, the club was originally called the “Martyrs of Chicago”, in homage to the eight anarchists imprisoned or hanged after the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.-Early...
midfield team mate Carlos Fren
Carlos Fren
Carlos Fren is a former Argentine footballer and manager. He spent most of his playing career in Argentinos Juniors and Independiente. He has also managed these clubs.-Playing career:...
. The pair led Mandiyú
Textil Mandiyú
Club Deportivo Textil Mandiyú, commonly referred as Textil Mandiyú is an Argentine Football club. Its home town is Corrientes, in the Province of the same name in North East Argentina...
of Corrientes
Corrientes Province
Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
(1994) and Racing Club
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
(1995), but with little success.
International management
After the resignation of Argentina national football teamArgentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
coach Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile
Alfio Basile , known as Coco, is an Argentine football coach and former player.-Playing career:Basile started his playing career at the Bella Vista club in his home city. From 1964 to 1970 he played for Racing Club, and then for Huracán, where he was a mainstay of the 1973 Metropolitano champions...
in 2008, Diego Maradona immediately proposed his candidacy for the vacant role. According to several press sources, his major challengers included Diego Simeone, Carlos Bianchi
Carlos Bianchi
Carlos Arcecio Bianchi , popularly known as El Virrey , is a prolific Argentine football forward turned manager...
, Miguel Ángel Russo
Miguel Ángel Russo
Miguel Ángel Russo is an Argentine football coach and former player, who now coaches Estudiantes.-Career:...
and Sergio Batista
Sergio Batista
Sergio Daniel "Checho" Batista is an Argentine football manager and former footballer. He played as a midfielder, and represented his national team 39 times between 1985 and 1990. He was head coach of Argentina national football team from July 2010 to July 2011.-Club:Batista played youth football...
.
On 29 October 2008, AFA chairman Julio Grondona
Julio Grondona
Julio Humberto Grondona is an Argentine football executive. He has served as president of the Argentine Football Association since 1979...
confirmed that Maradona would be the head coach of the national side from December 2008. On 19 November 2008, Diego Maradona managed Argentina for the first time when Argentina played against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
in Glasgow which Argentina won 1–0.
After winning his first three matches in charge of the national team, he oversaw a 6–1 defeat to Bolivia
Bolivia national football team
The Bolivia national football team is the national team of Bolivia and is controlled by the Federación Boliviana de Fútbol. After playing in the 1930 and 1950 World Cups, they qualified just once—in 1994...
, equalling the team's worst ever margin of defeat. With two matches remaining in the qualification tournament
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
The South American zone of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw 10 teams competing for places in the finals which were held in South Africa. The format is identical to that used for the previous three World Cup qualification tournaments held by CONMEBOL...
for the 2010 World Cup, Argentina was in fifth place and faced the possibility of failing to qualify, but victory in the last two matches secured qualification for the finals.
After Argentina's qualification, Maradona used abusive language at the live post-game press conference, telling members of the media to "suck it and keep on sucking it". FIFA responded with a two month ban on all footballing activity, which expired on 15 January 2010, and a CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
25,000 fine, with a warning as to his future conduct. The friendly match scheduled to take place at home to the on 15 December, during the period of the ban, was cancelled. The only match Argentina played during Maradona's ban was a friendly away to , which Argentina lost 4–2.
At the World Cup finals
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in June 2010, Argentina started by winning 1–0 against Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
, and then defeated South Korea
Korea Republic national football team
The Korea Republic national football team represents Korea Republic in international football and is controlled by the Korea Football Association. Korea Republic is the most successful Asian football team in the history of the FIFA World Cup having participated in eight World Cup tournaments,...
by 4–1, with a hat-trick from Gonzalo Higuain
Gonzalo Higuaín
Gonzalo Gerardo "El Pipita" Higuaín is an Argentine professional footballer. He was born in France, attaining Argentine citizenship in 2007, and now holding dual nationality...
. In the final match of the group stage Argentina won 2–0 against Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
to win their the group and advance to a second round meeting with Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
. After defeating Mexico 3–1, Argentina was in turn routed by Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, 4–0 in the quarter finals to go out of the competition. Argentina was ranked 5th in the tournament. After the defeat to Germany Maradona admitted that he was considering his future as Argentina coach, "I may leave tomorrow," he said. On 15 July 2010, the Argentine Football Association said that he would be offered a new 4 year deal that would keep him in charge through to the summer of 2014 when Brazil stages the World Cup
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
, however on 27 July the AFA announced that its board had unanimously decided not to renew his contract. Afterwards on 29 July 2010, Maradona claimed that AFA president Julio Grondona
Julio Grondona
Julio Humberto Grondona is an Argentine football executive. He has served as president of the Argentine Football Association since 1979...
and director of national teams Carlos Bilardo
Carlos Bilardo
Carlos Salvador Bilardo is an Argentine former football player and coach, who is currently the General Manager of the Argentina national football team....
had "lied to" and "betrayed" and effectively sacked him from the role. Saying "they wanted me to continue, but seven of my staff should not go on, if he told me that, it meant he did not want me to keep working".
Family
His parents are Diego Maradona Snr and Dalma Salvadore Franco. His father is of Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
extraction. His maternal great-grandfather Mateo Kariolić was born in Korčula
Korcula
Korčula is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. The island has an area of ; long and on average wide — and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 16,182 inhabitants make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk...
, Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, today's Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
(possibly then in the Austrian Empire), and emigrated to Argentina, where Maradona's grandmother Salvadora was born. Salvadora named her daughter Dalma after the Croatian region, after whom Maradona named his eldest daughter.
Maradona married long-time fiancée Claudia Villafañe on 7 November 1989 in Buenos Aires, after the birth of their daughters, Dalma Nerea (born on 2 April 1987) and Giannina Dinorah (born on 16 May 1989), by whom he became a grandfather in 2009. In his autobiography, Maradona admits he was not always faithful to Claudia, even though he refers to her as the love of his life.
Maradona and Villafañe divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d in 2004. Daughter Dalma has since asserted that the divorce was the best solution for all, as her parents remained on friendly terms. They traveled together to Napoli for a series of homages in June 2005 and were seen together on many other occasions, including the Argentina matches during 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
During the divorce proceedings, Maradona admitted he was the father of Diego Sinagra
Diego Sinagra
Diego Armando Maradona Sinagra is an Italian footballer and beach soccer player, currently plays for U.S. Arzanese-Biography:...
(born in Naples on 20 September 1986). The Italian courts had already so ruled in 1993, after Maradona refused to undergo DNA tests for proving or disproving his paternity. Diego Jr. met Maradona for the first time in May 2003 after tricking his way onto a golf course in Italy where Maradona was playing.
After the divorce, Claudia embarked on a career as a theatre producer, and Dalma was seeking an acting career; she had expressed her desire to attend the Actor's Studio in Los Angeles.
His younger daughter, Giannina, is now engaged to Manchester City striker Sergio Agüero
Sergio Agüero
Sergio Leonel "Kun" Agüero del Castillo is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester City in England's Premier League and the Argentine national team....
, with whom she has a son, Benjamin, born in Madrid on 19 February 2009. His son Diego Sinagra
Diego Sinagra
Diego Armando Maradona Sinagra is an Italian footballer and beach soccer player, currently plays for U.S. Arzanese-Biography:...
is a footballer in Italy
His mother, Dalma, died on 19th November 2011. Diego was in Dubai at the time, and desperately tried to fly back in time to see her, but was too late. She was 81 years old.
Drug abuse and health issues
From the mid-1980s until 2004 Diego Maradona was addicted to cocaineCocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. He allegedly began using the drug in Barcelona in 1983. By the time he was playing for Napoli he had a regular addiction, which began to interfere with his ability to play football.
Over the years following his retirement his health seriously deteriorated. On 4 January 2000, while vacationing in Punta del Este
Punta del Este
Punta del Este is a resort town on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. It is located on the intersection of Route 10 with Route 39, directly southeast of the department capital Maldonado and about east of Montevideo...
, Uruguay, Maradona had to be rushed to the emergency room of a local clinic. In a press conference, doctors stated that it was detected heart muscle damage due to "an underlying health issue". It was later known that traces of cocaine were found in his blood and Maradona had to explain the circumstances to the police. After this he left Argentina and went to Cuba in order to follow a drug rehab plan.
On 18 April 2004, doctors reported that Maradona had suffered a major myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
following a cocaine overdose; he was admitted to intensive care in a Buenos Aires hospital. Scores of fans gathered around the clinic. He was taken off the respirator
Respirator
A respirator is a device designed to protect the wearer from inhaling harmful dusts, fumes, vapors, or gases. Respirators come in a wide range of types and sizes used by the military, private industry, and the public...
on 23 April and remained in intensive care for several days before being discharged on 29 April. He tried to return to Cuba, where he had spent most of his time in the years leading up to the heart attack, but his family opposed, having filed a judicial petition to exercise his legal guardianship.
Maradona had a tendency to put on weight, and suffered increasingly from obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
from the end of his playing career until undergoing gastric bypass surgery
Gastric bypass surgery
Gastric bypass procedures are any of a group of similar operations that first divides the stomach into a small upper pouch and a much larger lower "remnant" pouch and then re-arranges the small intestine to allow both pouches to stay connected to it. Surgeons have developed several different ways...
in a clinic in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia on 6 March 2005. His surgeon said that Maradona would follow a liquid diet for three months in order to return back his normal weight. When Maradona resumed public appearances shortly thereafter, he displayed a notably thinner figure.
On 29 March 2007, Maradona was readmitted to a hospital in Buenos Aires. He was treated for hepatitis
Hepatitis
Hepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
and effects of alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...
, and was released on 11 April, but re-admitted two days later. In the following days there were constant rumors about his health, including three false claims of his death within a month. After transfer to a psychiatric clinic specialising in alcohol-related problems, he was discharged on 7 May.
On 8 May 2007, Maradona appeared on Argentine television and stated that he had quit drinking and had not used drugs in two and a half years.
Political views
Only in recent years, Maradona has shown sympathy to left-wingLeft-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
ideologies. Before that he had been vocal in his support of neoliberal Argentina President Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
, and especially of his Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
-educated economist Domingo Cavallo
Domingo Cavallo
Domingo Felipe "Mingo" Cavallo is an Argentine economist and politician. He has a long history of public service and is known for implementing the Convertibilidad plan, which fixed the dollar-peso exchange rate at 1:1 between 1991 and 2001, which brought the Argentine inflation rate down from over...
. He became friends with Cuban leader Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
while receiving treatment on the island. He also has a portrait of Fidel Castro tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
ed on his left leg and one of Fidel's second in command, fellow Argentine Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
on his right arm. In his autobiography 'El Diego' he dedicated the book to several people and groups of people including Fidel Castro, he wrote "To Fidel Castro and, through him, all the Cuban people
Cubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
".
Maradona is also a supporter of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
. In 2005 he visited Venezuela with the specific aim of meeting Chávez, who received him in Miraflores. After this meeting Maradona claimed that he had come with the aim of meeting a "great man" ("un grande" in Spanish) but he had met instead a gigantic man ("un gigante" in Spanish, meaning he was more than great).
"I believe in Chávez, I am Chavista. Everything Fidel does, everything Chávez does, for me is the best."
He has declared his opposition to what he identifies as imperialism
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
, notably during the 2005 Summit of the Americas
Mar del Plata Summit of the Americas
The 4th Summit of the Americas was held at Mar del Plata, about southeast of Buenos Aires in Argentina, on November 4-5, 2005.This summit gathered together the leaders of all the countries of the American continent, except Cuba. Major security arrangements and massive popular protests against the...
in Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
, Argentina. There he protested George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's presence in Argentina, wearing a T-shirt labeled "STOP BUSH" (with the "s" in "Bush" being a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
) and referring to Bush as "human garbage".
In August 2007, Maradona went further, making an appearance on Chávez's weekly television show and saying: "I hate everything that comes from the United States. I hate it with all my strength."
In December 2007, Maradona presented a signed shirt with a message of support to the people of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
: it is to be displayed in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' museum.
Financial problems
In March 2009 Italian officials announced that Maradona still owed the Italian government 37 million euros in taxes; 23.5 million euros of which was accrued interest on his original debt. They reported that thus far, Maradona has paid only 42,000 euros, two luxury watches and a set of earrings.In popular culture
The American newspaper The Houston Chronicle wrote about Maradona:In Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Maradona is considerer a symbol, a “Sport hero”. He is idolized, receiving the name of “God”. About this idolatry that exists in Argentina over Maradona, his former teammate Jorge Valdano said: "At the time that Maradona retired from active football, left traumatized Argentina. Maradona was more than just a great footballer. It was a special compensation factor for a country that in a few years lived several military dictatorships and social frustrations of all kinds". Valdano added that "Maradona offered to the Argentines way out of their collective frustration, and that's why people love him. There is a divine figure."
Ever since 1986, it is common for Argentines abroad to hear Maradona's name as a token of recognition, even in remote places. The Tartan Army
Tartan Army
The Tartan Army is a name given to fans of the Scotland national football team. They have won awards from several organisations for their friendly behaviour and charitable work...
sing a version of the Hokey Cokey in honour of the Hand of God goal against England. In Argentina, Maradona is often talked about in terms reserved for legends. In the Argentine film El Hijo de la Novia
Son of the Bride
Son of the Bride is an Argentine comedy drama film, directed by Juan José Campanella and written by Campanella and Fernando Castets. The executive producers were Juan Vera and Juan Pablo Galli, and it was produced by Adrián Suar...
("Son of the Bride"), somebody who impersonates a Catholic priest says to a bar patron: "they idolized him and then crucified him". When a friend scolds him for taking the prank too far, the fake priest retorts: "But I was talking about Maradona". He's the subject of the film El Camino de San Diego
El Camino de San Diego
El camino de San Diego is an Argentine comedy film, written and directed by Carlos Sorín. The film features Ignacio Benítez, Carlos Wagner, among others....
, though he himself only appears in archive footage.
Maradona was included in many cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s in the Argentine comic book El Cazador de Aventuras
El Cazador de Aventuras
Cazador is an Argentine comic that was published since 1992, during different time periods. It is famous for initiating a new age of adult comics in Argentina. It was written and drawn by Ariel Olivetti, Jorge Lucas, Mauro Cascioli and Claudio Ramirez...
. After the closing of it, the authors started a new short-lived comic book titled "El Die", using Maradona as the main character.
In Rosario, Argentina, locals organized the parody religion
Parody religion
A parody religion or mock religion is a parody of a religion, sect or cult. A parody religion can be a parody of several religions, sects, gurus and cults at the same time. Or, it can be a parody of no particular religion, instead parodying the concept of religious belief...
of the "Church of Maradona
Iglesia Maradoniana
The Iglesia Maradoniana is a parody religion, created by fans of the retired Argentine football player Diego Maradona, who they believe to be the best player of all time.- Ten Commandments :# The ball must not be stained, as D10S has proclaimed;...
". The organization reformulates many elements from Christian tradition, such as Christmas or prayers, reflecting instead details from Maradona. It had 200 founding members, tens of thousands more have become members via the church's official web site.
Many Argentine artists performed songs in tribute to Diego, like: "Maradó" by El Potro Rodrigo
Rodrigo Bueno
Rodrigo Alejandro Bueno , mostly known as Rodrigo, was an Argentine singer of cuarteto music. His nickname among cuarteto fans was el potro ....
, "Maradona" by Andrés Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro , is an Argentine musician, composer and Latin Grammy winner. His former band Los Rodríguez was a major success in Spain in the 1990s. He became one of the main icons of the Argentine rock in the last two decades and has sold over 1.3 million copies.-Abuelos de la Nada:Calamaro was...
, "Para siempre Diego" (Diego forever) by Los Ratones Paranoicos
Los Ratones Paranoicos
Los Ratones Paranoicos was a Argentine rock band , formed in 1986 in Buenos, Aires Argentina. Originally formed by Juanse , Pablo Memi , Paul "Sarcophagus" Cano , Ruben "Roy" Quiroga . In October 2007, Fabian "von" Quintiero split from the band after it has been built since 1997. In its place came...
, "Para verte gambetear" (For seeing you dribble) by La Guardia Hereje, "Francotirador" (Sniper) by Attaque 77
Attaque 77
Attaque 77 is an Argentine rock group formed in 1987.-History:Formed in 1987 as a group of friends who got together to play their favorite songs, most of them by The Ramones, their favorite band and the one that influenced them the most...
, "Dale Diez" (C'mon Diez) by Julio Lacarra, "Maradona blues" by Charly García
Charly García
Charly García is a singer-songwriter, pianist and keyboardist from Argentina with a long career in rock music, forming successful groups such as Sui Generis and Serú Girán, cult status groups like La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros, and as a solo musician.-Early years:Charly García was the eldest son in...
, "Santa Maradona" (Saint Maradona) by Mano Negra
Mano Negra
Mano Negra was a music band in France, during 1987–1995, fronted by Manu Chao.The band, founded in 1987 by Chao, his brother Antoine, and his cousin Santiago Casariego in Paris, France, was very influential in Europe during the early 1990s. Although it reached mainstream success in countries...
, "Si yo fuera Maradona" (If I Were Maradona) by Manu Chao
Manu Chao
Manu Chao , is a French singer of Spanish roots . He sings in French, Spanish, English, Italian, Galician, Arabic and Portuguese and occasionally in other languages...
, among others.
And many films, like: Maradona, La Mano de Dios (Maradona, the Hand of God), El Camino de San Diego (Saint Diego's Road), Amando a Maradona (Loving Maradona), Maradona by Kusturica, etc.
A television commercial for Brazilian soft drink Guaraná Antarctica
Guaraná Antarctica
Guaraná Antarctica is the most popular guaraná-flavoured soft drink in Brazil, created in 1921 by Pedro Baptista de Andrade for Companhia Antarctica Paulista, now part of Anheuser-Busch InBev...
portrayed Maradona as a member of the Brazilian national football team, including wearing the yellow jersey and singing the Brazilian national anthem with Brazilian caps Kaká
Kaká
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite , commonly known as Kaká , is a Brazilian football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team. Kaká started his footballing career at the age of eight, when he began playing for a local club...
and Ronaldo
Ronaldo
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima , commonly known as Ronaldo, is a retired Brazilian footballer who last played for Corinthians. Ronaldo is widely considered to be the greatest 'pure' striker in the history of the modern game, and by some accounts, in the history of football. Ronaldo was one of the...
. Later on in the commercial he wakes up realizing it was a nightmare after having drunk too much of the Brazilian soft drink. This generated some controversy in the Argentine media after its release (although the commercial was not supposed to air on the Argentine market, fans could see it via internet). Maradona replied that he has no problem in wearing the Brazilian national squad jersey, but that he would refuse to wear the shirt of River Plate, Boca Juniors' traditional rival.
International
- Started in 21 consecutive matches for Argentina in four World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
s (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994) - Appeared 16 times as captain of the national team, a World Cup-recordFIFA World Cup recordsThis is a list of records of the FIFA World Cup and its qualification matches.-Most championships:5, -Most finishes in the top two:7, ,...
. - Scored 8 goals and made 8 assists in 21 World Cup appearances, including 5 goals and 5 assists in 1986
- Tied for second-highest goal-scorer from Argentina in World Cup finals (equaled Guillermo StábileGuillermo StábileGuillermo Stábile was an Argentine footballer and manager. At club level, Stábile won two national championships with Huracán and played in Italy and France. He was the top-scorer of the first 1930 World Cup...
's mark in 1994; surpassed by Gabriel BatistutaGabriel BatistutaGabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...
in 1998)
Player
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align: center;"|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!rowspan="2"|League
!colspan="2"|League
!colspan="2"|Cup
!colspan="2"|Continental
!colspan="2"|Other
!colspan="2"|Total
|-
!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|1976||rowspan="5"|Argentinos Juniors
Argentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine football club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. Founded on August 15, 1904, the club was originally called the “Martyrs of Chicago”, in homage to the eight anarchists imprisoned or hanged after the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.-Early...
||rowspan="6"|Primera División||11||2||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||11||2
|-
|1977||49||19||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||49||19
|-
|1978||35||25||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||35||25
|-
|1979||27||26||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||27||26
|-
|1980||45||43||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||45||43
|-
|1981||Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
||40||28||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||40||28
|-
|1982–83||rowspan="2"|Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
||rowspan="2"|La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||20||11||5||3||4||5||6||4||35||23
|-
|1983–84||16||11||4||1||3||3||colspan="2"|–||23||15
|-
|1984–85||rowspan="7"|Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
||rowspan="7"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||30||14||6||3||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||36||17
|-
|1985–86||29||11||2||2||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||31||13
|-
|1986–87||29||10||10||7||2||0||colspan="2"|–||41||17
|-
|1987–88||28||15||9||6||2||0||colspan="2"|–||39||21
|-
|1988–89||26||9||12||7||12||3||colspan="2"|–||50||19
|-
|1989–90||28||16||3||2||5||0||colspan="2"|–||36||18
|-
|1990–91||18||6||3||2||4||2||1||0||26||10
|-
|1992–93||Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
||La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
||26||5||3||3||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||29||8
|-
|1993–94||Newell's Old Boys
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...
||rowspan="4"|Primera División||5||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||5||0
|-
|1995–96||rowspan="3"|Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
||24||5||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||24||5
|-
|1996–97||1||0||colspan="2"|–||1||0||colspan="2"|–||2||0
|-
|1997–98||5||2||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||5||2
242||150||colspan="2"|–||1||0||colspan="2"|–||242||151
62||27||12||7||7||8||6||4||87||46
188||81||45||29||25||5||1||0||259||115
492||258||57||36||33||13||7||4||589||311
- Other - League Cup (Spain) & Super Cup (Italy)
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align: center;"
|-
|1977||3||0
|-
|1978||1||0
|-
|1979||8||3
|-
|1980||10||7
|-
|1981||2||1
|-
|1982||10||2
|-
|1983||0||0
|-
|1984||0||0
|-
|1985||10||6
|-
|1986||10||7
|-
|1987||6||4
|-
|1988||3||1
|-
|1989||7||0
|-
|1990||10||1
|-
|1991||0||0
|-
|1992||0||0
|-
|1993||4||0
|-
|1994||7||2
|-
!Total||91||34
|}
Manager
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align: center;"|-
!rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|Nat
!rowspan="2"|From
!rowspan="2"|To
!colspan="5"|Record
|-
!P!!W!!L!!D!!Win %
|-
|align=left|Mandiyú de Corrientes
Textil Mandiyú
Club Deportivo Textil Mandiyú, commonly referred as Textil Mandiyú is an Argentine Football club. Its home town is Corrientes, in the Province of the same name in North East Argentina...
|align=left|
Argentina|align=left|January 1994
|align=left|June 1994
|12||1||6||5||
|-
|align=left|Racing Club
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
|align=left|
Argentina|align=left|May 1995
|align=left|November 1995
|11||2||6||3||
|-
|align=left|Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
|align=left|
Argentina|align=left|November 2008
|align=left|July 2010
|19||14||5||0||
|-
|align=left|Al Wasl FC
Al Wasl FC
Al Wasl Sports Club is a multi-sports club in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. It is best known for its football team.-The Cheetahs:Being one of the most popular clubs in the UAE, AlWasl have had several nicknames. The most famous one being...
|align=left|
United Arab Emirates|align=left|May 2011
|align=left|Present
|5||3||1||1||
|}
Club
Argentina Boca JuniorsBoca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
- Primera DivisiónPrimera División ArgentinaThe Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
: 1981
Spain BarcelonaFC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
- Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 1983 - Copa de la LigaCopa de la LigaThe Copa de la Liga was a Spanish football tournament created in 1982.Due to time constraints, saturation and club pressure, the competition only lasted four years, being cancelled in 1986...
: 1983 - Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 19831983 Supercopa de EspañaThe 1983 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 26 October and 30 November 1983. It contested by FC Barcelona, who were Spanish Cup winners in 1982–83, and Athletic Bilbao, who won the 1982–83 Spanish League.-First leg:...
Italy NapoliS.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
: 1987, 1990 - Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
: 1987 - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
: 19891989 UEFA Cup FinalThe 1989 UEFA Cup Final was a football tie played on 3 May 1989 and 17 May 1989 between S.S.C. Napoli of Italy and VfB Stuttgart of West Germany. Napoli won 5–4 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:*... - Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
: 19901990 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 1990 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by the 1989-90 Serie A winners Napoli and the 1989-90 Coppa Italia winners Juventus.The match resulted in a 5-1 win for Napoli.-Match details:-References:...
Country
ArgentinaArgentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
-
- FIFA World Youth Championship: 1979
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
:- Winner: 19861986 FIFA World CupThe 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
- Runner-up: 19901990 FIFA World CupThe 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
- Winner: 1986
- Artemio Franchi TrophyArtemio Franchi TrophyThe Artemio Franchi Trophy was a competition held twice between the champions of the European Football Championship and the Copa América...
: 1993 - 75th anniversary FIFA Cup: 1979
Individual
- Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA U-20 World CupFIFA U-20 World CupThe FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
: 1979 - Argentine leaguePrimera División ArgentinaThe Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
Top Scorer: 1979, 1980, 1981 - Argentine Football Writers' Footballer of the Year: 1979, 1980, 1981, 1986
- South American Footballer of the Year (El Mundo, Caracas):1979, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992
- Italian Guerin d'OroGuerin d'OroThe Guerin d'Oro is an annual prize instituted by the Italian weekly football magazine Guerin Sportivo, which, since 1976, is awarded to the player in Serie A with at least 19 games played, which has obtained the best average-media rating...
: 1985 - Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Year: 1986
- Golden Ball for Best Player of the FIFA World Cup: 1986
- L'Équipe Champion of Champions – 1986
- United Press International Athlete of the Year AwardUnited Press International Athlete of the Year AwardThe United Press International Athlete of the Year Award was conferred annually between 1974 and 1995 one each to the individuals adjudged, without restriction to nationality or sport contested, to be the male and female athlete of the year by a panel of sportswriters and editors constituted under...
: 1986 - Best Footballer in the World Onze d'OrOnze d'OrThe Onze d'Or is a football award handed out by French magazine Onze Mondial at the end of the year since 1976...
: 1986, 1987 - World Player of the Year (World Soccer MagazineWorld Soccer MagazineWorld Soccer is an English language football magazine published by IPC Media. It specialises in the international football scene. Its regular contributing writers include Brian Glanville, Sid Lowe and Tim Vickery. World Soccer is a member of the European Sports Magazines , an umbrella group of...
): 1986 - CapocannoniereCapocannoniereThe Capocannoniere is the name given to the highest goalscorer in Italian football. The Serie A title is currently held by Antonio Di Natale.-SERIE A:...
(Serie A top scorer): 1987–88 - Golden Ball for services to football (France FootballFrance FootballFrance Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
): 1996 - Argentine Sports Writers' Sportsman of the Century: 1999
- Marca LeyendaMarca LeyendaMarca Leyenda is an award given by the Spanish sports newspaper Marca to the best sport professionals in history. Since its inception in 1997 over 40 people have received this award including Michael Jordan, Pelé, Sergey Bubka, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Lionel Messi and many others.-List of...
: 1999 - Argentine SenateArgentine SenateThe Argentine Senate is the upper house of the Argentine National Congress. It has 72 senators: three for each province and three for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires...
"Domingo Faustino Sarmiento" recognition for lifetime achievement: - "FIFA Goal of the Century" (1986 (2–1) v. England; second goal): 2002
- FIFA Player of the CenturyFIFA Player of the CenturyFIFA Player of the Century was a one-off award created by FIFA to decide the greatest football player of the 20th century. Pele shared the honour with Diego Maradona...
External links
- ESPN Profile
- Complete List of International Appearances and Goals
- Video: Maradona's "Goal of the Century"
- Gary Lineker interviews Diego – BBC News 30 April 2006
- Diego admires Del Piero and Lavezzi
- Maradona Wants a Soccer Project to Return to Calcutta
- 50 Facts About the Argentine Legend
Images
- Maradona: The Highs, the Lows – slideshow by Life magazine
- Photos: Diego Maradona's Quest for the World Cup – slideshow by TIME magazine
- Diego Maradona's Greatest 2010 World Cup Moments – slideshow by The Huffington PostThe Huffington PostThe Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...