CLASSIC 10: DIEGO MARADONA

Diego Armando Maradona was born in October 30, 1960 in Lanus, Argentina and died in November 25, 2020 at age 60 in Dique Lujan, Argentina. Diego Maradona was a professional soccer player and soccer manager. He is regarded as one of the greatest soccer players in the history of the game. Maradona is one of the two joint winners of the coveted FIFA Player of the 20th Century award. Maradona is highly touted for his extraordinary vision, passing, dribbling skills, and ball control.

With a height of 1.66 meters (5 feet, 5 inches), Maradona had a notably small stature, which gave him the low center of gravity that enabled him to have great maneuverability and quickness. He had a powerful presence on the field and was touted for his leadership and incredible playmaking ability that rendered great influence on his team’s performance. As such, he was often singled out by his opponents and was often on the receiving end of many fouls. Nicknamed “El Pibe de Oro” (The Golden Boy), he is heralded for his creativity and gift to score and assist goals. Maradona was a free kick specialist. He was banned in 1991 and 1994 for drug abuse.

In his international soccer career with Argentina, Diego Maradona logged 91 caps and scored whopping 34 goals. Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups, which included Argentina’s 1986 World Cup bid in Mexico, where Maradona captained his team, leading them to victory over West Germany in the World Cup final. As a result of the remarkable effort, Diego Maradona’s Argentina won the Golden Ball, establishing him as the 1986 World Cup’s best player.

In the 1986 World Cup quarter final, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England that entered football history for two different reasons. The first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the “Hand of God”, while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yards) dribble past five England players, voted “Goal of the Century” by FIFA.com voters in 2002.

DIEGO MARADONA INFO

DATE OF BIRTH / DEATH: October 30, 1960 / November 25, 2020 PLACE OF BIRTH / DEATH: Lanus, Argentina / Dique Lujan, Argentina NATIONALITY: Argentine

HEIGHT: 1.66 m (5 ft 5 in) WEIGHT: 76 kg or 167.5 lbs POSITIONS: Center Attacking Midfielder (10 / CAM), Second Striker (9)

YOUTH SOCCER CAREER

YOUTH CLUB: Argentinos Juniors (1969–1976) FOUNDED: August 15, 1904

STADIUM: Diego A. Maradona LOCATION: La Paternal, Buenos Aires

PROFESSIONAL SOCCER CAREER

YEARS / TEAM / APPS / (GOALS)	YEARS / TEAM / APPS / (GOALS)
1976–1981 Argentinos Juniors 166 (116) 1981–1982 Boca Juniors 40 (28) 1982–1984 Barcelona 36 (22) 1984–1991 Napoli 188 (81)	1992–1993 Sevilla 26 (5) 1993–1994 Newell’s Old Boys 5 (0) 1995–1997 Boca Juniors 30 (7) Total 491 (259)

INTERNATIONAL SOCCER CAREER

YEARS / TEAM / APPS / (GOALS)

1977–1979 Argentina U20 15 (8) 1977–1994 Argentina 91 (34)

DIEGO MARADONA VIDEOS

Diego Maradona Leads Napoli to 3-0 win over AC Milan in 1989

Diego Maradona leads Napoli to 3-0 victory over AC Milan in 1989, Maradona scoring 1 goal and delivering 2 assists.

DIEGO MARADONA HIGHLIGHTS: When He was the Best Dribbler in the World

Below is a compilation of Diego Maradona highlights, performing incredible artistry with the ball at his feet, illustrating his place on the world stage as one of the greatest soccer players, dribblers, of all time.

Diego Maradona Amazing Training Skills

An artful compellation of Diego Maradona video clips that begin with the 10-year-old Maradona and span his legendary soccer career. Video clips are of his pre-game warm ups and training.

DOCUMENTARY: Diego Maradona’s Childhood Story

Diego Maradona’s youth was full of challenges. Coming from an extremely poor family, Maradona had to work harder than others to escape this and find his place on top of the world. From his childhood to his teenage years, the challenges got even greater but Maradona never let it get him down. Before you think about giving up, watch the story of Maradona’s childhood.

The day Diego Maradona Made Ronaldinho Cry

January 2010: Diego Armanda Maradona is doing a signing session after the publication of his biography. As a big fan of El Pibe de Oro, a 20-year-old Ronaldinho decides to meet his idol. But the Brazilian player isn’t just anyone: he is also a massive star. So when Maradona sees him, his words will have Ronaldinho in tears… a wonderful but mostly unknown story.

Diego Maradona World Cup Stats

Diego Maradona is one of the most iconic players in World Cup history. In celebration of his life and achievements, we have dug deeper into the numbers behind the Argentine’s phenomenal 1986 World Cup as part of our Data Dive series on The Analyst.

Italy 1 (3) x (4) 1 Argentina 1990 World Cup Semifinal Goals & Highlights

The 1990 World Cup Semifinal featuring Italy versus Argentina, who tied one goal each, leading the world soccer powerhouses into penalties and Argentina, lead by Diego Maradona, winning 3-4. The video features goals and highlights.

Diego Maradona Could Do Everything With a Football (Rare Freestyle)

If you seek to be that player that can not only SEE PASSES THAT OTHERS DON’T BELIEVE EXIST but ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO EXECUTE THEM, I encourage you to watch and learn as many of the ball handling techniques of Diego Maradona, curving, bending, delivering the ball with backspin and so on. As a player, this applies to receiving a pass and scoring goals. One of the boys asked a question about how some of the techniques I use or ask them to use translate to the game.

While the simple demand to use their weak foot during training seems very mundane and virtually useless to many, it becomes more and more apparent the need to use both feet to pass, receive, and shoot at the higher levels and more demanding games. Enjoy the game. Enjoy the ball and all those who gather around it.

Diego Maradona’s 2001 Testimonial Match Rene Higuita

In 2001, four years after his retirement from professional soccer, Diego Maradona was honored with a Testimonial Match: Argentina versus a World XI, which included greats such as Jose Rene Higuita. Higuita, the flashy goalkeeper known as “El Loco,” would also have his two-decade career feted and farewelled by Colombia this weekend. Colombia President Alvaro Uribe, Diego Maradona, and Brazilian stars Ronaldo and Ronaldinho were to the Sunday testimonial match between a team of Colombia all-stars and top players from the 1990s of the Colombian club Atletico Nacional.

At the time, Diego Maradona was 41 years old, four years retired from the game, overweight, and fresh from knee surgery. The Testimonial Match, played at Boca Juniors’ stadium, is a chance for the Hand of God to wave goodbye to 50,000 adoring fans… and Pele, who is also in the stands.

DIEGO MARADONA QUOTES

• When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success.
• To see the ball, to run after it, makes me the happiest man in the world.
• My mother thinks I am the best. And I was raised to always believe what my mother tells me.
• Even if there was a hand, it was the hand of God.
• When you win, you don’t get carried away. But if you go step by step, with confidence, you can go far.
• I am Maradona, who makes goals, who makes mistakes. I can take it all, I have shoulders big enough to fight with everybody.
• The goal was scored a little bit by the hand of God, another bit by the head of Maradona.
• I am black or white, I’ll never be grey in my life.
• Messi scores a goal and celebrates. Cristiano scores a goal and poses like he’s in a shampoo commercial.
• When God decides its time, I guess he’ll come for us.
• The Lord helps those who help themselves.
• Money is not a motivating factor. I do what comes to me at that moment.
• I was, I am and I always will be a drug addict. A person who gets involved in drugs has to fight it everyday.
• I’m alive and I want to keep living.
• What I love most about Norway is you ladies. Back home I’m used to fat and hairy women journalists.
• All the people that criticized me should eat their words.
• I’ve seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentinian football and his name is Messi… He’s a leader and is offering classes in beautiful football.
• If I could apologize and go back and change history I would do. But the goal is still a goal, Argentina became world champions and I was the best player in the world.
• I was waiting for my teammates to embrace me and no one came, … I told them, ‘Come hug me or the referee isn’t going to allow it.’
• Everybody in Argentina can remember the hand of God in the England match in the 1986 World Cup. Now, in my country, the hand of God has brought us an Argentinian pope.
• My legitimate kids are Dalma and Giannina. The rest are a product of my money and mistakes.
• When I wear the national team shirt, its sole contact with my skin makes it stand on an end.
• There would be no debate about who was the best footballer the world had ever seen – me or Pele. Everyone would say me.
• The Manchester Derby is bigger and more important than El Classico.
• Pele should go back to the museum.
• At the moment there are some England players who are the stars of their club teams, but not for their country. It’s difficult to explain.
• To see my country lose a football match is very hard for someone who has worn the shirt.
• Beckham is a nice man and I’m sure he will reach 100 appearances for England. But he is just a good player, nothing more.
• There are hundreds of Beckhams playing football all over the world.
• The problem is that they are all stars at Madrid. You need someone to carry the water to the well.
• There would be no debate about who was the best footballer the world had ever seen – me or Pele. Everyone would say me.

DIEGO MARADONA STORIES

• History of the World Cup: 1986 – Maradona puts on a show in Mexico – Sports Net
  This was the World Cup of Diego Maradona. The mercurial Argentine genius, who on his own turned Napoli into a powerhouse in Italy’s Serie A, was at the height of his form and unquestionably the greatest player in the game. Maradona had a point to prove after a terrible performance four years earlier in Spain. He would make amends in Mexico, leading Argentina to its second World Cup. No other player, not even Pele in 1958 nor Paolo Rossi in 1982, had dominated a single competition the way Maradona did in Mexico. That he did it in such stylish fashion when the game of soccer was hijacked by ultra-defensive tactics made his achievement even more impressive. Argentina was crowned world champion for the second time and Maradona, the undisputed king of the tournament, basked in the hot Mexican sun as he lifted the World Cup trophy.
• Maradona: A Legend’s World Cup Exploits in Numbers – The Analyst
  Maradona’s brilliance with the ball at his feet was undisputed. His on-field exploits have resulted in him being idolised by his countrymen as well as in Napoli, where his iconic number 10 shirt has been retired in recognition of the role he played in securing the club’s two Serie A titles and the 1989 UEFA Cup. In his homeland, he will always be remembered as the man who inspired his country to World Cup success in 1986, which remains the last time Argentina lifted the famous World Cup Trophy. Watch a Maradona data-dive video here, and then carry on reading below: Over the course of his career, Maradona appeared in four successive World Cups and holds the record for the most number of appearances in the competition by an Argentinean player (21).
• A forensic analysis of Maradona’s 2001 testimonial: Higuita, Zanetti, Riquelme – Planet Football
  In 2001, four years after his retirement, Diego Maradona was honoured with a testimonial match: Argentina versus a World XI. It was farcical but entertaining. Testimonials. Celebrity games for charity. ‘Legends’ tournaments. Football is more nostalgic than ever, and 40-something ex-pros are finding themselves with schedules no less crammed than those of their younger, non-retired counterparts.