Diego Armando Maradona (30 October 1960 – 25 November 2020) was an Argentine professional football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award.
Renowned for his ability to control the ball and create scoring opportunities for himself and others, he led club teams to championships in Argentina, Italy, and Spain, and he starred on the Argentine national team that won the 1986 World Cup.
Maradona’s vision, passing, ball control, and dribbling skills were combined with his small stature, which gave him a low center of gravity allowing him to maneuver better than most other players.
His presence and leadership on the field had a great effect on his team’s general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. In addition to his creative abilities, he possessed an eye for goal and was known to be a free kick specialist. A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname “El Pibe de Oro” (“The Golden Boy”), a name that stuck with him throughout his career.
Maradona was hated by some but loved by millions more. The Argentine’s legend is best summed up by the fact he scored the most beautiful goal in football history just minutes after its most infamous.
Maradona died of heart failure and pulmonary edema in November of 2020.
