Diego Maradona of Lanus, Argentina, died at the age of 60 on Wednesday. According to the Associated Press, the Argentinian soccer legend had just been released from a Buenos Aires hospital two weeks ago after having brain surgery.
Throughout his latter life, Maradona had been dealing with various health issues. They included obesity and cocaine use.
Maradona is best known for guiding Argentina to the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Recognized as the best player in the tournament, he scored five goals in seven games. The first goal came in a 1-1 tie against Italy in Group A action, and then he scored twice against England in a controversial 2-1 win in the quarterfinals, and two more goals in a 2-0 win over Belgium in the semifinals.
The reason why Argentina’s win over England was considered controversial is because Maradona scored what has been historically known as “The Hand of God goal.” At the 51st minute mark of the game, Maradona scored with his hand, and the goal should have been disallowed. But the officials did not see the soccer ball touch Maradona’s hand, and due to the fact there was no video-assisted review at the time, the goal was able to stand. After the game, Maradona delivered one of the most historic quotes in sports history. He said he scored “a little with his head, and a little with the hand of God.”
Maradona would later score one of the most magical goals in the history of soccer four minutes later. In the 55th minute, Maradona dribbled the soccer ball past five English players before scoring the game-winning goal. The goal was known as the “Goal of the Century.”
Maradona would score 34 goals overall for Argentina in 91 international games. When Argentina beat West Germany 3-2 in the 1986 World Cup Final in Mexico, it was their second World Cup title in franchise history. The first came in 1978 in Argentina, as Argentina beat the Netherlands 3-1 in the final.
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