Diego Maradona, a global football icon, died Wednesday after having a heart attack at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60 years old.
The former offensive midfielder and manager successfully operated on a cerebral thrombus in early November and it was announced that he would have to be treated for alcohol dependence then.
One of the greatest players of all time, the scaled-down attacking captain, was when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup and produced captivating achievements, including two famous goals against England: one a remarkable solo effort and the other the infamous “hand of God”. as Maradona described.
A larger-than-life character who is notoriously battling the personal demons of alcohol and substance abuse, he was one of the co-winners of the FIFA 20th Century Player Award. The hypnotic dripper, who made a distinction at Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Naples, set the world record transfer fee twice as the first player in football history. He ended his career with 259 goals in 491 matches.
He scored 91 goals for Argentina, scored 34 goals, and in November 2008 became the national team coach. His leadership career has spanned the entire world, but he has never been able to shake his personal demons and has suffered multiple health horrors in recent years.
The transcendent figure has appeared in several documentaries over the years, including most recently Diego Maradona written by Asif Kapadia. The 2019 biographical film debuted in Cannes and premiered at several festivals, then earning BAFTA and BIFA nominations.
Tributes to the football legend flowed into the social media. The Argentine Football Association tweeted that Maradona “stays in our hearts forever”.
