Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona was an Argentine professional football player who played as an attacking midfielder and football manager. He was regarded as one of the best players to ever play the sport in football history and was one of two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award. He passed away on November 25, 2020, after suffering cardiac arrest at the age of 60.

Early Life

Diego Maradona was born on October 30, 1960, in Lanus, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He grew up in the shantytown of Villa Fiorito, a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, where he played football on the streets with his friends. Despite his love for football, Maradona struggled in school and dropped out at the age of 16 to focus on his football career.

At the age of eight, Maradona joined a local youth team called Los Cebollitas, where he quickly gained a reputation for his skills on the pitch. He later joined the youth academy of Argentinos Juniors, a professional football club in Buenos Aires, where he made his professional debut at the age of 16.

Club Career

Maradona made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors in the year 1976, after the conclusion of the match he stated, "That day I felt I had held the sky in my hands.” He played for five years at Argentinos Juniors and scored 115 goals in 167 appearances. After his successful stint at Argentinos Juniors, Maradona moved to Boca Juniors, another Argentine club. He only played for Boca Juniors for one season but helped the team win the league title.

In 1982, Maradona signed with Barcelona, a Spanish team. He played for Barcelona for two seasons, during which he won the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup. In 1984, Maradona signed with Napoli, an Italian club. He played for Napoli for seven seasons and helped the team win two Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, one UEFA Cup, and one Italian Super Cup.

After his stint at Napoli, Maradona played for Sevilla, a Spanish team, for one season. Maradona returned to Argentina in 1993 to play for Newell's Old Boys, a team based in his hometown of Rosario. He returned to Boca Juniors in 1995 and played for the team for two seasons before retiring from professional football in 1997.

He had an extremely successful club career, scoring 311 goals in 589 appearances in all competitions.

International Career

Maradona first represented Argentina on the international stage as a member of the under-20 team. He helped lead the team to victory in the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship, scoring five goals in the tournament.

Maradona made his senior debut for Argentina in 1977, and he went on to make 91 appearances for the national team, scoring 34 goals. He was a key player for Argentina in the 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1994 World Cups.

He led Argentina to victory in the 1986 World Cup, scoring five goals and providing five assists in the tournament. He scored one of the most famous goals in World Cup history in the quarterfinals against England, when he dribbled past five English players before scoring. This action would later be dubbed the ‘Hand of God.’

Maradona also played a key role in Argentina's run to the final of the 1990 World Cup, where they lost to West Germany. He was named the tournament's best player and won the Golden Ball award. His international career came to an end in controversial circumstances at the 1994 World Cup. He was sent home from the tournament after testing positive for a banned substance.

Records

• Maradona scored 28 goals for Napoli in the 1987-88 season, which remains a record for the most goals scored in a single Serie A season by a midfielder.

• Maradona scored eight goals for Argentina in the World Cup, which is tied for the most goals scored by an Argentine player in the tournament.

• Maradona captained Argentina in 62 matches, which is a record for the most appearances as captain of the national team.

• Maradona became the first player in history to break the world record transfer fee twice when he moved from Boca Juniors to Barcelona in 1982 for £5 million, and then from

• Barcelona to Napoli in 1984 for £6.9 million.

• Maradona is one of only three players in history to win the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball award for the best player of the tournament twice (in 1986 and 1990), along with Ronaldo Nazario and Lionel Messi.

Awards and Achievements

Personal Life

Maradona struggled with drug addiction for much of his adult life. He was first linked to cocaine use in the mid-1980s, and he went to rehab several times over the years. He was also known for his heavy drinking. This led to various health issues, including obesity, heart problems, and respiratory issues. He underwent several surgeries and was hospitalized numerous times.

Maradona also had several legal issues throughout his life, including tax evasion, drug possession, and domestic violence. He was also linked to organized crime in Italy.

Despite his personal struggles, Maradona was also known for his charitable work. He supported various causes, including children's rights, and donated money to various organizations.

Net Worth

As of 2023, years after his death, his net worth is currently estimated to be $100,000.

Family

Maradona was born to Diego Maradona Sr. and Dalma Salvadora Franco. His father was a factory worker and played semi-professional football, while his mother worked in a tobacco factory. They divorced when Maradona was eight years old. He also had six siblings - four sisters and two brothers. His younger brother, Hugo, also played professional football.

He also had five children from four different women: Dalma, Giannina, Diego Jr, Jana, and Diego Fernando.

Wife

Maradona was married twice. His first marriage was to Claudia Villafañe, whom he married in 1984. They had two children together before divorcing in 2004. He then married his long-time partner, Veronica Ojeda, in 2014, but they separated two years later.

Houses

In 1995, when Maradona returned to Argentina to play for Boca Juniors, he bought a house in the exclusive San Andres neighborhood of Buenos Aires known as Casa Rosada. The property was reportedly worth millions of dollars.

Maradona owned a luxurious house in the suburbs of Buenos Aires known as Casa Sur. The house had several bedrooms, a swimming pool, and a gym.

Maradona owned a villa in the coastal town of Posillipo, near Naples, Italy, where he lived during his time playing for Napoli. The villa was reportedly worth several million dollars and had a panoramic view of the Bay of Naples.

In the last years of his life, Maradona lived in an apartment in the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, located in Dubai. The apartment was reportedly worth millions of dollars and had a stunning view of the city.