Each time someone sought to blueprint a strategy for handling massive, breaking news, every newsroom in Argentina cited the very same hypothetical scenario: “What shall we do on the day Diego Maradona dies?”
Regrettably, that day arrived on November 25, 2020, and nobody was prepared. And I don’t just mean the Argentinian newsrooms, but the entire globe.
That footballing virtuoso, who seemed to cheat death an abundance of times, possessing what felt like unbreakable genetics, the architect of triumphs that electrified hundreds of millions, and one of the most recognizable beings on Earth, passed away virtually alone and under medical care that is widely suspected to have been, at minimum, insufficient.
Grief permeated every strata of existence. In Argentina, it was catastrophic. Hundreds of thousands converged on his wake at the Government House amid a raging pandemic. Not even the fear of Covid-19 deterred them.
Maradona managed to unite a deeply fractured nation in its sorrow. Adults wept like children. His casket was draped with countless football jerseys and tokens of affection tossed by people expressing their thanks in choked voices.
Fans salute and pay their respects during the funeral service for Argentine football legend Diego Maradona in November 2020.
Fans salute and pay their respects during the funeral service for Argentine football legend Diego Maradona in November 2020. Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images
His farewell mirrored his life: it was pandemonium. Shouts mingled with disturbances, cheers of adoration clashed with cries from police and troublemakers. The proceedings had to conclude ahead of schedule, and despite the extended hours, many were left with an unfulfilled desire to bid a closer farewell to the eternal champion.
It’s already been five years since the passing of “Number 10″—and 28 since he concluded his professional sporting career. Yet, there are still very young children who idolize him. Murals and monuments in his honor continue to be unveiled. His goals and quotes constantly go viral. In Argentina, there is a “Maradonian Church” that celebrates “Christmas” on October 30th, his birthday. Just last October 30th, a statue of him toured the streets of Naples, surrounded by flowers and adoration. Many still consider him the finest footballer in history, even though he is far from the one with the most accolades.
But how to explain the Maradona phenomenon? I think there are four keys to understanding why there were times when he was considered the most famous human being in the world.
Legendary career
The first is the most self-evident: his supernatural command over a football.
He captained a youth squad for Argentinos Juniors, nicknamed “Los Cebollitas” (“the little onions”), which rapidly gained unusual fame. His inherent skill was so immense they began having him perform “jueguitos” during the halftime intermissions of first-division matches (for any non-football aficionados, ‘jueguitos’ essentially means keeping the ball airborne without using your hands). Not long after, the audience grew more invested in the halftime show than the actual main event.
A brief spell after debuting professionally with that club, many prognosticators declared he was destined to be “superior to Pelé,” who at that juncture was the unquestioned monarch of the Beautiful Game. That comparison with the Brazilian three-time World Cup victor would shadow him throughout his existence—or rather, it would persist until the comparison with another left-footed number 10 from Rosario took precedence.
Diego Maradona is carried across the pitch after guiding Argentina to triumph in the 1986 World Cup final. Argentina overcame West Germany at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.
In pictures: Soccer legend Diego Maradona
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Diego Maradona is carried across the pitch after guiding Argentina to triumph in the 1986 World Cup final. Argentina overcame West Germany at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Carlo Fumagalli/AP
He was transferred to Boca Juniors for a colossal fee in 1981, securing what would be his sole title achieved on Argentine soil. He then moved to FC Barcelona as the most expensive transfer in history up to that point.
However, his tenure with the Catalan side did not meet expectations as he spent significant time sidelined due to hepatitis, a fractured ankle following a brutal opponent tackle, and a suspension stemming from a notorious altercation with Athletic Bilbao players.
Furthermore, according to his own account in his memoir, “Yo soy el Diego,” it was during this period that his substance use commenced. In 1984, he relocated to Napoli, where his peak era unfolded. That period concluded in 1992, marking the end of his golden years. Subsequently, he had short tenures with Sevilla and Newell’s Old Boys before concluding his career back at Boca. In terms of club honors, he amassed only eight trophies, spanning from 1981 to 1990.
From a pure footballing perspective, what truly cemented his legendary status was the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Maradona delivered what is arguably the most decisive single-player performance in World Cup history. He propelled a team lacking major superstars to be crowned champions.
In concrete statistics, out of Argentina’s 14 goals, he accounted for five scores and provided five assists. And, in an era where refereeing was notably more lenient, he endured a record 53 fouls throughout the tournament—even that could not halt him.
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Of all the matches where his influence was paramount, one quarterfinal contest against England stood out, a crowning moment seemingly lifted from the finest cinematic script. The game took place just four years after the Falklands/Malvinas War, a conflict the British had won. The Argentine public’s wound was still raw. It was precisely in that charged environment that Maradona unleashed his two most epoch-making masterstrokes.
In the first goal, despite standing only 5-foot-5, he leaped into the air and outperformed English goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who towered nearly 6-foot-2 and, crucially, was permitted by the rules to handle the ball. Because Maradona, in a flash of audacity and guile, also employed his hand. Later, in an interview, he himself dubbed that initial masterpiece: “It was the Hand of God.”
Diego Maradona scores the infamous “Hand of God” goal past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
Diego Maradona scores the infamous “Hand of God” goal past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Bob Thomas Sports Photography/Getty Images
Then followed his talent in its supreme state of grace. It was so breathtaking that FIFA, the world’s governing body for football, christened this second artistic achievement the “Goal of the Century.” Rather than attempting a description, it is best to quote the commentary from journalist Víctor Hugo Morales, which managed to capture its perfection flawlessly:
“There goes Maradona, he’s being marked by two, Maradona steps on the ball, the genius of world football starts down the right, and leaves them behind, he’s going to pass to Burruchaga… Always Maradona! Genius! Genius! Genius! Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta… Gooooal… Gooooal… Gooooal!!!
“I want to weep! My God, long live football! An amazing goal! Diegoal! Maradona! It makes one cry, please forgive me… Maradona, in a memorable run, in the performance of all ages… An aerial marvel… From what planet did you descend to leave so many Englishmen behind, to make a nation a single clenched fist shouting for Argentina? Argentina 2 – England 0. Diegol, Diegol, Diego Armando Maradona… Thank God, for football, for Maradona, for these tears, for this match Argentina 2 — England 0!”
That match perfectly encapsulated Diego Armando Maradona. His immense talent alongside his propensity for bending the rules. The unconditional adoration from those who view him as a hero, juxtaposed with the profound loathing from those who deem him a villain.
The Number 10 for “La Albiceleste” maintained this supersonic standard. Two more goals against Belgium in the semi-finals and an unforgettable assist in the final against Germany—the pass that delivered the South American side its second star. His feat was complete: Maradona achieved immortality.
The Humble Genius
Another essential element in grasping why he transcended sports lies in his deep identification with the common and working classes. He entered the world as part of a large, extremely impoverished family in Villa Fiorito, a settlement within the Buenos Aires province.
Maradona frequently recounted stories of his mother, “Doña Tota,” enduring hunger so her children could eat. This experience marked him permanently. His left foot was forged on those dirt and stone streets. Furthermore, football is inherently a sport for the poor, as all that’s truly required to play is any round object—though a proper ball is preferred.
“El Pelusa” during his time with Napoli at the San Paolo Stadium.
“El Pelusa” during his time with Napoli at the San Paolo Stadium. Marc Leech/Offside/Getty Images
“El Pelusa” never lost sight of these origins. He consistently plunged into controversies, always siding with the impoverished or the most vulnerable. As he put it himself, he stood against “the powerful.” This aura of a populist hero, voicing what many others only thought, garnered adoration from millions globally, to the extent that the nickname “D10s” (God) became widespread.
His successes with Boca Juniors, the club he passionately supported, and Napoli solidified his image as a symbol for the less fortunate. Boca was fundamentally a working-class institution, and Napoli represented the proud stand of Italy’s impoverished South, contrasting sharply with the wealthy northern clubs like Juventus and Milan. Maradona allowed humble people to dream that, for at least ninety minutes, they could overcome the rich and influential.
Off-Field Drama
The third defining characteristic that set Maradona apart from other footballing greats was his cinematic, tumultuous life outside the lines, replete with excess, spectacular falls, scandals, comebacks, and extremes. Everything surrounding him was starkly black or white. It was a matter of life and death.
His battle with drug addiction plagued him for decades, involving constant improvements followed by disheartening relapses that eroded his health. He once lamented to filmmaker Emir Kusturica: “Do you know what kind of player I would have been had I never touched cocaine? What a player we missed out on!”
While based in Naples, a close affinity developed between him and the Camorra, the Neapolitan mafia. This association significantly contributed to his eventual downfall. His nocturnal activities became increasingly reckless. In 1991, he received a 15-month suspension after the discovery of cocaine in his system following a match against Bari. This marked the conclusion of his tenure with the Gli Azzurri.
He reappeared on the pitch playing for Sevilla, far removed from his peak physical condition. In 1993, he made a heroic return to his greatest love, the Argentine national team, in the playoff against Australia for a spot in the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The 1990 runner-ups managed to qualify for the main event despite struggling.
During those months leading up to the World Cup, his fraught relationship with the press reached its nadir. To disperse a crowd of journalists staking out his residence, he fired an air rifle at them, injuring several individuals.
Maradona was determined to regain peak physical fitness to pursue the World Cup once more. In the first two matches of the 1994 tournament in the USA, he demonstrated that, at age 33, he remained superior. However, just as his team seemed poised as a leading title contender, he was ejected from the competition following a positive doping test for ephedrine.
Maradona confronting the referee during the World Cup match against Greece on June 21, 1994, in the USA.
Maradona confronting the referee during the World Cup match against Greece on June 21, 1994, in the USA. Simon Bruty/Allsport/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The number 10 always maintained he never took it “deliberately,” arguing it stemmed from a benign prescription medication and that his punishment was retaliation for his persistent criticism of FIFA. This period gave rise to another of his iconic statements: “They cut off my legs.” He faced another severe 15-month ban, which served as the melancholic finale to his international career.
Following his retirement as a professional footballer, Diego Maradona arguably endured the most challenging phase of his existence. Distant from the sport he adored, his vices intensified like never before. At 39, visibly obese, he stood on the brink of death in Uruguay; he was miraculously saved.
His bond with Fidel Castro prompted him to relocate to Cuba to undertake extensive detoxification therapy. Nonetheless, his time on the island was not characterized by complete sobriety.
His life contained numerous other contentious issues: acknowledged extramarital children, legal battles, endless contradictions, and more.
Yet, many people empathized with these flaws and contradictions, admiring his sheer tenacity in battling back from rock bottom. The writer who encapsulated him best was the Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano in his book Soccer Closed: “He became a sort of soiled God, the most human of gods, which explains the universal reverence he earned beyond any other player.
“A soiled God, who mirrors us: womanizer, garrulous, drunkard, gluttonous, irresponsible, a liar, a braggart, but gods, no matter how human, do not retire.”
A Unmatched Personality
Finally, the fourth trait that propelled Maradona to global celebrity status was his astonishing fusion of charisma and guile. An inexplicable aura enveloped him. When he entered a space, an intangible change occurred. Immediately, people would begin smiling, even if he remained silent. If he spoke, this effect amplified tenfold.
He authored countless maxims that gained fame equal to his on-pitch maneuvers. Besides those already mentioned, he left other legendary quotes, such as one delivered at his farewell match in the iconic Bombonera stadium: “I made mistakes and paid for them, but the ball itself is not dirty.”
“El Pibe de Oro” during the 1986 World Cup match.
“El Pibe de Oro” during the 1986 World Cup match. Bongarts/Getty Images
He also coined the phrase “the turtle got away from them” to describe someone who hesitated or failed to act decisively when necessary. Or “more fake than a sky-blue dollar” to characterize disloyal or hypocritical individuals.
He summed up the difficulty of adapting to fame and wealth with this statement: “They took me out of Villa Fiorito and kicked me toward Paris, toward the Eiffel Tower.”
The debate over who stands as the greatest footballer in history is irresolvable. One thing is certain: there will never be another like him.
The answer to “What shall we do on the day of Maradona’s passing” is to revel in his talent, forgive his errors, appreciate his wit, and tell new generations who Diego Armando Maradona truly was—with all his imperfections included.
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