World mourns football icon Maradona

Argentinian football legend Diego Maradona has died of a heart attack at the age of 60.

Maradona was famous for being one of the greatest footballers of all time. He captained Argentina to its 1986 World Cup success. During the competition he scored a breathtaking goal. It later won a vote for goal of the century.

Maradona was known for always wearing a number 10 shirt. He brought success to clubs such as Barcelona and Napoli. But he suffered injury and drug addiction. This meant he left both clubs in disgrace.

However, Maradona remained loved in his home country. Football, for many Argentinians, is a form of religion. Maradona is its god, and his flaws were what made him human.

President Alberto Fernandez declared three days of mourning for the man who is widely seen as a national hero.

In Buenos Aires, people gathered to mourn Maradona at the Diego Maradona Stadium, the Obelisk landmark, and the Boca Juniors Stadium, where his career had begun.

At 10pm on the day of his death, the Argentinian capital exploded in cheers and horns in a final applause for its footballing legend. Weniger anzeigen