Diego Armando Maradona. Football is another name for him. Many football experts, critics, former and current players and football fans consider him the best footballer of all time.
FIFA’s best player of the twentieth century was next to him only when another Brazilian legend was found.
Maradona is the only footballer to set a world transfer fee twice. The first time he moved to Barcelona was 5 million euros and the second time he went to Napoli was 7.9 million euros.
The legend has played for Argentine Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell’s Old Boys in his professional career.
Maradona has scored 34 goals in 91 international appearances for Argentina. In four World Cup games, the footballer country has won the world trophy in singles. His contribution to the 1986 World Cup has made him king not only in Argentina but in world football.
It can be said that this Maradona has created millions of fans of aquamarine and white jerseys all over the world.
Argentina beat England 2–1 in the quarter-finals of the 1968 World Cup. Maradona scored two goals for Argentina. Both goals have been memorable in football history for two different reasons. The first goal was handball, known as the “Hand of God”. The second goal was scored by Maradona, dribbling from a distance of about 60 meters, overcoming five English defenders. In 2002, FIFA.com voters voted the goal the best goal of the century.
Maradona was born on October 30, 1960, in the city of Lanুসs in the province of Buenos Aires, to a very poor family. He grew up in Via Fiorito, a peace town on the southern tip of Buenos Aires.
He was the son of the parents after three daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo (El Turko) and Raul (Lalo). They were also professional footballers.
Diego was discovered by a scout when Estrea was playing for Roger at the age of 10. He then became a key player in The Little Onion (Argentinos Juniors youth team).
Maradona was the ball-boy in Argentina’s first division game. He was 12 years old then. He used to satisfy the spectators by showing magical craftsmanship with the ball during the half break of the game.
Maradona made his Argentine Juniors debut on October 20, 1976, ten days before his 16th birthday. He was there till 1981. He scored 115 goals in 167 matches. He then moved to Boca Juniors for 1 million euros. He joined Boka in the middle of the 1981 season and won his first league championship in 1982.
Maradona in Europe
He joined Barcelona after the 1982 World Cup with a transfer fee of 5 million Euros. In 1983, under coach Cesar Luis Menotti, Barcelona beat Real Madrid to win the Copa del Rey and Athletic Bilbao to win the Spanish Super Cup. However, Maradona had a bad time at Bara. First he has to fight hepatitis. Then he got an ankle injury. However, he returned to the field quickly after the treatment. He scored 36 goals in 56 games for Barcelona.
While in Barcelona, Maradona became embroiled in controversy with club managers; Especially with club president Josep Luis Nunez. He joined Serie A club Napoli in 1984 for another record transfer fee (Euro 8.9 million).
Maradona helped Argentina win the 1986 World Cup and runner-up in the 1990 World Cup.
He made his national team debut against Hungary on 28 February 1986 at the age of 18. In 1969, at the age of 18, he represented Argentina at the FIFA World Youth Championships. Argentina defeated the Soviet Union 3–1 in the final of the competition. On 2 June 1969, Maradona scored his first goal for the senior team against Scotland. He is the only player to have won the Golden Ball in both the FIFA U-20 World Cup (1989) and the FIFA World Cup (1986).
In four World Cups (1982, 198, 1990 and 1994), Maradona played in 21 consecutive games for Argentina.
He has captained the national team in 16 games, a World Cup-record.
He scored 6 goals in 21 World Cup games and assisted 6 more goals. In which he scored 5 goals and 5 assists in 1986 World Cup.
