Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona dead at 60
Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, whose magical dribbling skills captivated fans for decades and inspired a generation of athletes, died Wednesday after suffering a cardiac arrest at home.
The 60-year-old World Cup champion, who battled substance abuse and obesity for much of his life, was recovering from a brain surgery for a blood clot and had been released from a Buenos Aires hospital just two weeks ago, according to national news outlets.
The controversial icon was also being treated for alcohol dependency and was recently admitted to a separate clinic with signs of depression, anemia and dehydration.
Widely considered one of the best soccer players of all time, Maradona represented Argentina in four World Cups in the 1980s and ’90s, helping the national team win a title in 1986. It was during that tournament that Maradona scored his outrageous “Hand of God” goal, one of the most infamous moves in World Cup history, in which he literally punched the ball into the net in a quarterfinals match against England.
Maradona also played for Barcelona and Napoli during an exceptional, and sometimes controversial, career.
The left-footed forward, who later worked as a coach for Argentina and several clubs, was caught in a doping scandal in the early 1990s, when he first admitted to using cocaine, and was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. after failing another doping test.
He continued to battle his addiction and other health problems for years, but soccer fans in his country and elsewhere never stopped idolizing him.
“You took us to the top of the world. You made us immensely happy. You were the greatest of all,” Argentine President Alberto Fernández wrote on Twitter. “Thanks for having existed, Diego. We will miss you for life.”
The president’s office said it would decree three days of national mourning.
Brazilian soccer star Pelé, who is often paired with Maradona as the best of all time, joined a list of celebrities sharing their tributes on social media.
“Sad news today,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I have lost a dear friend, and the world has lost a legend. There is much more to say, but for now may God give his family strength. One day, I hope, we will play soccer together in the sky.”
Barcelona forward and fellow Argentine Lionel Messi called it “a very sad day for all Argentines and for football.”
Maradona won numerous titles throughout his career, which essentially began when he was only 10 years old. The young Maradona, the fifth of eight children, used to wow crowds during halftime performances at professional soccer tournaments by keeping the ball airborne for minutes with his feet, head and chest.
He went on to play for Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors in the early 1980s before moving to Europe, where he worked for Spanish and Italian clubs.
After his retirement from the field in 1997, Maradona struggled with cocaine use and heart problems and almost died in 2000. He later said he had overcome his addiction, calling cocaine his “toughest rival.”
His health appeared to improve in the mid-2000s after a gastric bypass surgery, but he was hospitalized yet again in 2007 for acute hepatitis.
Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappé changed his Twitter profile photo Wednesday to one of Maradona.
“RIP Legend,” the French athlete wrote. “You will stay in the history of football forever. Thanks you for all the pleasure you gave to the whole world.”
Napoli’s official Twitter account also expressed its sorrow: “The world awaits our words but there are no words to describe the pain we’re going through. Now is the time to grieve.”
With News Wire Services
