Diego Maradona

Diego Armando Maradona (30 October 1960 – 25 November 2020) was an Argentine footballer and manager, considered among the sport's all-time greats. He shared the FIFA Player of the Century award with Pelé. Maradona was a classic number 10 and advanced playmaker, known for his vision, passing, dribbling, and ball control, as well as his free-kick ability. His short stature gave him a low center of gravity, helping him maneuver past opponents.

His leadership and presence on the pitch greatly influenced his team's performance, earning him the nickname "El Pibe de Oro" ("The Golden Boy"). In club football, he played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, and Newell's Old Boys. He led Napoli to their first Serie A title and a second three years later, though he was later banned from the club for cocaine use. He set the world transfer record twice: £5 million to Barcelona in 1982 and £6.9 million to Napoli in 1984.

Internationally, Maradona earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals for Argentina. He played in four World Cups, captaining Argentina to victory in 1986 and winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. In the quarterfinal against England, he scored both goals in a 2–1 win. The first was an unpenalized handball known as the "Hand of God," and the second was a 60-meter dribble past five defenders, later voted the "Goal of the Century" by FIFA.com voters in 2002.

Maradona managed Argentina from November 2008 until after the 2010 World Cup. He later coached UAE club Al Wasl (2011–12), UAE club Fujairah (2017–18), Mexican club Dorados (2018–19), and Argentine club Gimnasia de La Plata (2019–20). He also served as chairman of Belarusian club Dynamo Brest for several months in 2018. He died on 25 November 2020.

Maradona was born on 30 October 1960 at Policlínico Evita Hospital in Lanús, Buenos Aires Province, into a poor Roman Catholic family. He grew up in Villa Fiorito, a shantytown on Buenos Aires' southern outskirts. His father, also named Diego, worked at a chemicals factory; his mother, Dalma Salvadora Franco, had Italian and Croatian ancestry. His parents were from Esquina in Corrientes province and moved to Buenos Aires in the 1950s.

Two younger brothers, Hugo and Raúl, became professional footballers, and he had four older sisters. He received his first football at age three and became devoted to the game. At eight, a talent scout spotted him playing for his local club, Estrella Roja. In March 1969, his friend Gregorio Carrizo, already recruited by coach Francis Gregorio Cornejo, recommended Maradona to Los Cebollitas, the junior team of Argentinos Juniors.

Cornejo later said the eight-year-old played like an adult. Maradona became a star for the Cebollitas, and as a 12-year-old ball boy, he entertained crowds with his skills during halftime of first-division matches. In 1973 and 1974, he led the Cebollitas to two Evita Tournament wins and 141 unbeaten games, alongside Adrián Domenech and Claudio Rodríguez, forming what is considered the best youth team in Argentine history. He cited Brazilian playmaker Rivellino and Manchester United winger George Best as inspirations.

Maradona made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors on 20 October 1976, ten days before his 16th birthday, becoming the youngest player in Argentine Primera División history. Wearing number 16 against Talleres de Córdoba, he nutmegged Juan Domingo Cabrera early in the match, a move that became symbolic of his talent. After the game, Maradona said, "That day I felt I had held the sky in my hands." Cabrera later recalled: "I was on the right side of the field and went to press him, but he didn't give me a chance.

He made the nutmeg and when I turned around, he was far away from me." He scored his first two professional goals on 14 November 1976, two weeks after turning 16, against Marplatense club San Lorenzo. He made 11 appearances in his debut season. In 1977, he scored 19 goals in 49 matches, attracting attention from other South American clubs.

In 1978, he scored 26 goals in 35 games but was surprisingly left off the 1978 World Cup squad by coach César Luis Menotti. In 1979, he scored 26 goals in 26 games, finishing as top scorer in both the Metropolitan and Nacional tournaments. In 1980, he scored 43 goals in 45 appearances and was top scorer in four consecutive tournaments. Over five years at Argentinos Juniors, he scored 115 goals in 167 appearances.

In February 1981, Maradona transferred to Boca Juniors for US$4 million. He had offers from other clubs, including River Plate, which offered to make him their highest-paid player, but River dropped its bid due to its large payroll.