Diego Maradona: The Hand of God, Football’s ultimate rockstar and legend

Diego Armando Maradona Franco, died on November 25 at the age of 60 due to a cardiac arrest. Diego Maradona had recently undergone testing for the coronavirus but his test came out negative. However, in the last couple of weeks, Diego Maradona battled health issues and underwent emergency surgery for a subdural haematoma several weeks ago. It was a shocking end to one of the greatest footballers, along with Pele to have come out of South America. When one looks at the persona of Diego Maradona, he was the ultimate icon of football, so much so that a church was built in his name.

Where does Diego Maradona rank in the list of football legends? Right up there. Possibly Pele can give him competition. But, when it comes to Brazil vs Argentina, football contests are always intense, even among legends.

October 20, 1976 was the day a young Diego Maradona felt that he “had the sky in his hands.” Turning up for Argentinos Juniors, 10 days before he turned 16, Diego Maradona made his debut and four weeks later, when he was 16, he scored a goal. Diego Maradona scored 115 goals in 167 appearances in a period of five years before he made the big transition to Boca Juniors. In his time with Boca Juniors, he is best remembered for his SuperClasico goal against arch-rivals River Plate which helped Boca Juniors beat them 3-0.

Diego Maradona’s performances earned him a place in the Argentina squad for the 1982 World Cup in Spain but the young Maradona found the stage a bit overwhelming and failed to perform as Argentina crashed out of the tournament with losses to Brazil and Italy.

Star power increases

Despite a moderate 1982 World Cup, Diego Maradona’s football skills and his rockstar like persona, especially his style quotient made him a media favorite. The footballing skills was enough to set the transfer market on fire, with Barcelona acquiring him for a world record fee of USD 7.6 million. Diego Maradona reserved his best against Real Madrid, especially in one game in 1983 where such was the power of his performance that Real Madrid fans took to applauding a rival player.

However, illness and that ill-fated brawl against Real Madrid in front of King Carlos spoiled his reputation. That he was also racially taunted only added fuel to his anger. After leaving FC Barcelona, he was taken by Napoli and the price was also a world record. When Diego Maradona arrived in Napoli, the entire town was in attendance and it was estimated that 75000 people turned up for his presentation.

The Hand of God

Perhaps, if Diego Maradona is to be known, depending on which side of the fence you are on, the ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the 1986 World Cup clash was either pure luck, blatant cheating or sheer skill.

The majesty of his second goal and the notoriety of his first led to the French newspaper L'Equipe describing Maradona as "half-angel, half-devil". This match was played with the background of the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Replays showed that the first goal was scored by striking the ball with his hand. Maradona was coyly evasive, describing it as "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God". It became known as the "Hand of God". Maradona's second goal, just four minutes after the hotly disputed hand-goal, was later voted by FIFA as the greatest goal in the history of the World Cup. He received 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 outfield players before he left goalkeeper Peter Shilton on his backside with a feint, and slotted the ball into the net. This goal was voted "Goal of the Century" in a 2002 online poll conducted by FIFA.

Maradona’s magnificence boosted Argentina and it was his power that saw them beat West Germany 3-2 in front of 115,000 fans at the Aztec stadium in Mexico City as Diego Maradona sealed his name as one of the greatest in the world. Azteca Stadium authorities built a statue of him scoring the "Goal of the Century" and placed it at the entrance of the stadium. His performances inspired another great to do well in Football and that was France legend Zinedine Zidane, who was 14 at the time.

Heartbreak and drugs battle

Argentina narrowly missed out on winning the title in 1990 as West Germany secured their revenge and beat them 1-0 in the final. However, things went downhill for Diego Maradona after he failed a dope test in the 1994 World Cup in the USA and was sent back home. That event ended his international career which had lasted 17 years and yielded 34 goals from 91 games.

After the end of his career, Diego Maradona battled drug abuse and suffered many health issues. His addiction to cocaine was well-documented. Diego Maradona also suffered from obesity issues.

But, it is his exploits on the field that have left an indelible impression on people all over the world. When Diego Maradona visited India, the fan following and the adulation he received was second to none. Such is his popularity that when Diego Maradona announced his retirement, Argentina as a nation was traumatized. In popular culture, Diego Maradona is the subject of a comic book titled "El Die", where he is the main character. Maradona has had several online Flash games that are entirely dedicated to his legacy.

His death is a massive blow to the world of football. As in the words of one famous Indian politician who remarked that “God has reclaimed His Hand”, Diego Maradona’s legend will live on for eternity. Rest in Peace, Diego Maradona.