Diego Maradona, who captained the 1986 World Cup-winning team Argentina, died from a heart attack at the age of 60 on Wednesday.
Argentina’s president Alberto Fernandez has announced there will be three days of national mourning following the death of one of the world’s most famous footballers.
Fernandez said: “Diego was Argentina in the world. He gave us joy and we will never be able to repay him for so much joy.”
The star, who had surgery for a subdural haematoma a few weeks ago, died at his Buenos Aires home, according to Argentinian media.
Known for being the “Hands of God” due to his goal against England in the 1986 quarterfinals, many football stars decided to follow with this tribute.
Link: https://youtu.be/nGYYs-ZE5Wg?t=310
Former England footballer Gary Lineker wrote on Twitter:
“Reports from Argentina that Diego Armando Maradona has died. By some distance the best player of my generation and arguably the greatest of all time. After a blessed but troubled life, hopefully he’ll finally find some comfort in the hands of God. #RipDiego”
Maradona helped to lead his country to the final of the Italia ’90 tournament as well as the World Cup triumph in 1986 when Argentina beat West Germany in the final.
Another highlight in his career saw Maradona managing Argentina to the quarterfinals in South Africa 2010.
View this post on Instagram
Unfortunately, with his highs came lows throughout his career. He fought with drug addiction, which saw him nearly die in 2000 from a cocaine-induced heart failure.
Nevertheless, the man born in a shanty town on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires and the fifth of eight children went on to do the unthinkable.
Brazilian footballer Pelé, often hailed alongside Maradona as one of the greats, said it was sad to “lose friends this way”.
Pelé added: “Certainly one day we’ll kick a ball together in the sky above.”
British filmmaker Asif Kapadia, who made a documentary on the footballers years in Naples, paid an emotional tribute: “He always seemed indestructible. I had 10 hours with the man!! I touched his left foot.”
Cant quite believe DM has gone. Hard to process. He always seemed indestructible. I had 10 hours with the man!! I touched his left foot. We did our best to show the world the man, the myth, the fighter he was. The greatest #legend #DiegoMaradona @MaradonaMovie #Diego #maradona pic.twitter.com/4BSULN9rdt
— asifkapadia (@asifkapadia) November 25, 2020
Stars outside the footballing world also paid tribute, reflecting how many lives the footballer touched.
Buenos Aires ‘97.
What a life.
What a legend.
(He was under house arrest at the time!!) pic.twitter.com/7TIcTBSP2b— Noel Gallagher (@NoelGallagher) November 25, 2020
RIP to legend #Maradona??pic.twitter.com/U9KdyRhGBE
— Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) November 25, 2020
Lastly, FIFA couldn’t miss their opportunity to remember the great.
