Diego Maradona rose quickly through the ranks to become the greatest football player of all time thanks to his excellent dribbling action, powerful assists, accurate passes, and remarkable footwork. This incredibly talented young man, Argentina’s national idol and pride, was born to play the sport. As a result, despite hailing from a poor family with little financial resources, he began playing football at the age of ten and made his professional debut at the age of sixteen. His athleticism and physical power offered him an advantage over other players, allowing him to reach the peak of achievement. He progressed from an inexperienced club player to the most coveted soccer player over the course of a 21-year career. In 91 international appearances, he scored 34 goals. He was named FIFA Player of the Century for his outstanding performance on the field. He is the only player in World Cup history to captain a team sixteen times, which is a World Cup record.
Childhood and Adolescence
‘Chitoro’ Diego Maradona and ‘Doa Tota’ Dalma Salvadora Franco had Diego Maradona as a child. He has two younger brothers and three older sisters. His family was close-knit, but they were struggling financially.
He began playing soccer at a very young age. His incredible talent drew the notice of a talent scout, who enrolled him into Los Cebollitas, the young team of the Argentinos Juniors in Buenos Aires.
He demonstrated his extraordinary ability and brilliance by leading Los Cebollitas to a 136-game winning streak.
The Career of Diego
Diego Maradona made his professional debut with Argentinos Juniors in 1976, just before his sixteenth birthday. He made 167 games and scored 115 goals during his five years with the club squad.
On February 27, 1977, he made his official international debut against Hungary.
On June 2, 1979, he scored his first senior goal against Scotland at Hampden Park. The match ended in a 3-1 victory for Argentina.
He represented Argentina in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 1979, helping the squad to victory. He was the tournament’s breakout star, winning the Golden Ball award for best player.
He was traded to Boca Juniors for $1 million in 1981. He earned his first league title medal while playing for the club squad.
He competed in his first World Cup event in 1982. Argentina, although being the defending champions, failed to live up to expectations and was eliminated from the tournament in the second round, losing to Brazil and eventual victors, Italy.
He was transferred to FC Barcelona in Spain for a world record sum of 5 million dollars following the World Cup loss. Despite winning the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup with the club, he was plagued by illness and injury throughout his time there.
He scored 38 goals in 58 games throughout his two seasons with Barcelona. However, a squabble with the club president and team director resulted in his transfer to Napoli in Italy’s Serie A for a new world record cost of 6.9 million euros.
His time with Napoli proved to be the most profitable of all, with positive results for both himself and the team. He not only reached the height of his career, but he also helped the team achieve tremendous success and victory.
In 1986-87 and 1989-90, he guided the club to two Serie A Italian Championships. In addition, Napoli won the Coppa Italia in 1987, the UEFA Cup in 1989, and the Italian Supercup in 1990 with ease. The club finished second in the Serie A Italian Championships in 1987-88 and 1988-89, with him as the leading scorer in 1987-88.
Meanwhile, he led Argentina to victory in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. He led his squad from the front throughout the tournament, asserting his authority in every game. In the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals against England, Belgium, and West Germany, he scored five goals and added five assists. Respectively.
He continued to captain Argentina in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, with the only difference being that he was less powerful. He guided his side to the World Cup final against West Germany, but unlike 1986, he was unable to repeat the feat, as his squad was defeated by West Germany 1–0. This signaled the beginning of the end of a once-promising career.
After testing positive for cocaine in 1991, he received a 15-month suspension.
He left Napoli in 1992 to play for Sevilla in Spain, where he stayed for a year. He joined Newell’s Old Boys the next year.
He only played two games at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, scoring one goal, before being sent home for failing an ephedrine drug test. His 17-year international career came to an end with this announcement. He scored 34 goals in 91 games for the team.
He returned to Boca Juniors in 1995 and played for the club for two years before retiring in 1997, on the eve of his birthday.
He was named head coach of Argentina’s national team in 2008, a position he held for eighteen months until the 2010 World Cup.
In 2013, he became the spiritual coach’ of Argentine Primera D club Deportivo Riestra.
Achievements & Awards
At the 1986 FIFA World Cup, he was awarded the Golden Ball.
For being the ultimate sportstar of the decade, he received the Diamond Konex Award, which was one of Argentina’s most prestigious culture prizes, from the Konex Foundation in 1999.
Along with Pele, he was awarded the ‘FIFA Player of the Century’ title in 2000. He received 53.6 percent of the vote, compared to 18.53 percent for Pele. The ‘Football Family’ committee, on the other hand, voted for the latter.
In a 2002 FIFA poll, his second goal against England in the quarter-final match of the 1986 World Cup has selected the “Best Goal Ever Scored in a World Cup.” The Argentinos Juniors named their stadium after him the next year.
He was named one of the Greatest 10 World Cup Players of All Time by the New York Times in 2010.
Personal & Family Life
On November 7, 1984, Diego Maradona married Claudia Villafane, his long-time sweetheart. Dalma Nerea and Giannina Dinorah were the couple’s two daughters. In 2004, the couple divorced. During the trial, he admitted to having an illegitimate son, Diego Sinagra, who is currently an Italian player.
In 2013, he and his ex-long-term partner Veronica Ojeda welcomed another son, Diego Fernando.
He was a drug abuser from the 1980s until 2004, which had a significant impact on his health and career. Despite relocating to Cuba and attempting to follow a drug rehabilitation program, his situation did not appear to improve when he suffered a massive myocardial infarction in 2004 as a result of a cocaine overdose.
Diego Maradona died of a heart attack at his home in Buenos Aires on November 25, 2020. He had surgery for a blood clot in his head two weeks before his death.
Estimated Net worth
Diego Maradona had a net worth of $500,000 when he died. He was an Argentine football coach, manager, and former professional soccer player. At the age of 60, Maradona passed away on November 25, 2020.
Trivia
On his left thigh, he got a likeness of Fidel Castro tattooed, and on his right arm, he had a portrait of Che Guevara tattooed.
In 1979 and 1986, he was the only player to win the Golden Ball at both the FIFA U-20 World Cup and the FIFA World Cup.