A god on the field, a human off it

One of the greatest soccer players of all-time. 

Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona passed away on Wednesday at the age of 60. Maradona suffered a heart attack in his Buenos Aires home.El Clarin, Argentina’s main newspaper, reported Maradona’s passing around noon Argentinian time in his home in Villa Fiorito, a suburb of Buenos Aires and despite the efforts from the medic, they could not revive him.

Diego Armando Maradona won pretty much everything there was to win in soccer starting with the U-20 World Cup with Argentina in 1979. League titles and cups with Boca Juniors, Barcelona, and Napoli followed.

It was the 1986 World Cup where Maradona cemented his legend. He scored five goals during the tournament, but it was two against England in the quarterfinals that are forever known–one as the most controversial and one as the greatest ever. The first he punched in with his hand (“The Hand of God”) which was seen by everyone except the referee. The second four minutes later is arguably the competitions most famous goal as he weaved past four defenders and then goalkeeper Peter Shilton to give Argentina a 2-0 lead. Argentina would go on to win that match and then the World Cup over West Germany, 3-2.

If Maradona was at the peak in 1986, his fall from it would be as dramatic. At Italia 90, he was the most fouled player at the Cup (50 times to be exact) and would fail to score a goal in open play. Argentina would go on to be runners-up losing to West Germany, but Maradona’s downward spiral would continue.

Drug and alcohol addictions would befall him for the rest of his life. He faced a 15-month ban in 1991 for testing positive for a banned substance. He would return in time for the 1994 World Cup and score a goal against Nigeria, but that would be his last match with Argentina after testing positive again for a banned substance. A third positive test in 1997 would lead to his retirement from playing.

He would coach Argentina for two years and take them to the 2010 World Cup, but Germany would end his spell with a 4-0 quarterfinal win in South Africa.

Our own Fern McCostigan had his thoughts on Maradona:

“Filled with controversies and scandals but in the end, who cared as the man was only human but in the field of play the man played like a God of football and his styles made him an immortal in the game he loved passionately.”

Maradona was indeed a player less ordinary who led a life less ordinary. He is both adored and reviled. He was one of the greatest soccer players of all time and that made his fall from grace all the more sorrowful. It will be forever debated if he or Pele is the greatest of all time. It is undisputed that he is a great that transcends time.

RIP Diego Armando Maradona.

Our thanks to Fern McCostigan for contributing to this story.