Diego Maradona played for a number of clubs around the world. He started his career at Argentinos Juniors before joining Boca Juniors in 1981. Maradona went on to play for Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Newell’s Old Boys before ending his career at Boca Juniors in 1997.
Maradona was such an icon that when he joined Napoli, he was welcomed by 75,000 fans at his presentation at the Stadio San Paolo. Sports writer David Goldblatt said, “The fans were convinced that the saviour had arrived.”
Maradona also led Napoli to their first ever Serie A league title in 1986-87, before winning the second one in 1989-90. Before Maradona arrived, Italian football was dominated by teams from the north and centre of the country, such as A.C. Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan and Roma.
Diego Maradona’s career highlight was winning the World Cup with Argentina in 1986. Maradona got 8 goal contributions that World Cup, leading his team to a World Cup victory. After scoring the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England, he scored his second goal by receiving the ball in his own half, swivelled around and with 11 touches ran more than half the length of the field, dribbling past five English players (Peter Beardsley, Steve Hodge, Peter Reid, Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick) before he left goalkeeper Peter Shilton on his backside with a feint, slotting the ball past him into the net.
His second goal vs England in the quarter finals of the 1986 World Cup was voted “Goal of the Century” in a 2002 online poll conducted by FIFA.
Maradona will always be of the most skillful players to ever play the game with gifted dribbling abilities, an eye for goal, close ball control, passing and creativity.
Michael Platini, a former French midfielder (also one of the best players ever) spoke about Maradona’s close control. “Diego was capable of things no one else could match. The things I could do with a football, he could do with an orange.”
Maradona’s best individual honours were winning the FIFA Player of the Century (2000) and being included World Team of the 20th Century (1998).
