Diego Maradona will forever be remembered as the greatest ever

Diego Maradona wasn’t only the greatest soccer player of the 1980s, his legacy will ensure that he will be remembered as one of the best ever.

This year has been a terrible one for many around the world. Start with the pandemic, followed by lockdowns and an economic collapse that has impacted millions.

In 2020, we’ve also lost many beloved figures: Alex Trebek, Sean Connery and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, just to name a few. The sports world lost Kobe Bryant and baseball stars Whitey Ford, Don Larsen, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan and Tom Seaver. These deaths have truly made this a annus horribilis.

Add Diego Maradona to the list of sports legends who died this year. Maradona’s death on Wednesday at age 60 of cardiac arrest was mourned by fans in his native Argentina and across the globe. While Maradona was a complicated figure in so many ways, he was more than an athlete. In Argentina, he was a cultural icon, alongside Eva Peron, while in Naples, the southern Italian city where he played his most successful club soccer, Maradona’s popularity elevated him to god-like status.

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Indeed, Maradona was not only the best player of his generation, but his genius on the field will forever make him one of the greatest ever. With the possible exception of Pele, Maradona could very well be the greatest man to ever kick a soccer ball.

In Argentina, Maradona is revered for having singlehandedly helped his country win the World Cup in 1986. That feat included a 2-1 quarterfinal victory against England where Maradona scored two of the most-talked about goals in World Cup history.

The first came via an act of cheating (Argentines would call it cleverness) when Maradona punched the ball into the goal past Peter Shilton. The referee allowed the goal to stand despite protests from England’s players. After the game, Maradona said the goal had been scored by the “Hand of God.”

The game’s second goal, on the other hand, was sheer soccer genius. Maradona’s 60-yard dash towards goal included beating four English players before slotting the ball past Shilton for what was later deemed the “Goal of the Century.”

It was those two goals where the Maradona contradiction was best highlighted. Maradona lived like he played. His disregard for the rules and norms made him the best player of the 1980s. Off the field, that same attitude led to a life of excess and years-long addiction to cocaine. It was only in recent years that Maradona had been freed of his addiction, although he continued to suffer health issues.

On the field, he performed miracles. Maradona led Napoli to two Serie A titles, a league cup and the UEFA Cup, the precursor to the modern-day Europa League. Over the course of seven seasons starting in 1984, Maradona transformed a mediocre team into one of the best in Europe. In return, Napoli fans chanted his name and erected street murals that remain up to this day.

I had the joy of watching Maradona play as a boy. I even saw him play in person for Napoli in 1987 in a Coppa Italia game against Modena. Napoli won 4-0, but the highlight for me was Maradona’s goal.

Although his success each Sunday with Napoli is what I remember most, it was what Maradona did at the World Cup that most fans around the globe recall most as tributes continue to pour in. His final bow on the World Cup stage came in 1994 after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Not the be outdone, Maradona re-emerged on the World Cup stage as Argentina’s coach at the 2010 tournament.

In life, Maradona was known as “El Pibe de Oro” (The Golden Boy) for his playing abilities. In death, he will forever be remembered as one of the best ever.