Diego Maradona holds the World Cup, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, 29 June 1986
Diego Maradona holds the World Cup, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, 29 June 1986

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Person1960 – 2020

Diego Maradona

Argentine footballer who captained his country to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, scoring both the “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century” against England in the quarter-final

Raised in a poor district on the edge of Buenos Aires, he made his professional debut at fifteen. He played his first World Cup in Spain in 1982 and captained Argentina to their second title in Mexico in 1986, where his “Hand of God” and “Goal of the Century” against England in the quarter-final, entwined with memories of the Falklands War, made him a legend at home. He led Napoli to two Italian league titles and reached the 1990 final, but was sent home from the 1994 World Cup after failing a drug test. He coached Argentina at the 2010 World Cup and died in 2020.

Where they went

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4 related events

  1. 1

    The first finals with 24 teams. Italy, with six goals from Paolo Rossi, beat West Germany 3–1 in the final.

  2. 2

    Maradona’s World Cup. Four years after the Falklands War he scored the “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century” against England in the quarter-final, and Argentina beat West Germany 3–2 in the final. South Korea returned to the finals after 32 years.

  3. 3

    West Germany beat Argentina 1–0 in the final for their third title. Germany reunified three months later, making this West Germany’s last World Cup.

  4. 4

    Held in football’s backwater, the United States, it drew the highest average crowds in World Cup history. The final was decided on penalties for the first time, Brazil beating Italy for a fourth title.

People who appear alongside

  • Franz Beckenbauer1945 – 2024

    West German footballer and coach who won the World Cup as captain in 1974 and as coach in 1990, and chaired the organizing committee of the 2006 World Cup; nicknamed “Der Kaiser”

Themes this person appears in

  • FIFA World Cup1904 – 2026

    From the founding of FIFA to the 48-team tournament in North America — the football championship that has gathered the world every four years since Uruguay 1930