From the Editor
Sadly, Diego Maradona’s career came before my time – I missed his golden era. My first vivid memory of him was from the 1994 World Cup when he scored against Greece and ran towards the pitch-side camera with that infamous wide-mouthed celebration. My dad told me during USA ’94 that Maradona was the greatest player he’d ever seen, so I had to find out more about this “legendary” footballer. I delved through my uncle’s VHS collection and found videos of Italia ’90 and Mexico ’86. And it was only after watching those tournament highlights that I realised what all the fuss was about. Victor Hugo Morales’ famous commentary for Maradona’s once-in-a-lifetime goal for Argentina against England at the 1986 World Cup sums it up best:
Long after he retired Maradona’s legacy continued to live on, and it will do so even more now
“Goaaaaaal! Goaaaaal! I want to cry! Holy God, long live football! What a goal! Diegoal! Maradona! I can’t help crying, forgive me! Maradona, on an unforgettable run, in the greatest play of all time! Cosmic kite, what planet did you come from?…Diegoal! Diegoal! Diego Armando Maradona! Thank you, God, for football, for Mar a dona, for these tears .”
The impression Maradona left on me as a young football fan pales into insignificance with the indelible mark he left on fans who watched this goal live, and those who watched him play throughout the 1980s. I grew up on a diet of Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo all being heralded as the greatest players of their generation, but whenever that conversation extended to a greatest-of-all-time debate, Maradona always entered the equation – and more often than not won. Long after he retired Maradona’s legacy continued to live on, and it will do so even more now. Overseeing this special issue of World Soccer, which remembers “El Pibe de Oro”, has not only been a privilege, but also an enlightening experience. Seeing the tributes (page 4) and outpouring of grief (page 28) since Maradona’s passing shows what he meant to the football world and its followers. And his genius on the pitch is given a fitting send-off. Keir Radnedge looks back at his magical but often tragic career (page 14); Jonathan Wilson discusses how he practically single-handedly won the World Cup (page 16); Tim Vickery eulogises his Argentina legacy (page 24); and Paddy Agnew remembers how Naples took Diego to their heart, immortalising him with almost God-like status (page 26). That alone shows how he truly transcended the game. As the man himself said in an interview with World Soccer back in 1986 (page 30): “You will never find me saying I’m the best. If other people choose to say so, that is their business.” And believe me, plenty of people say so. Rest in peace, Eterno Diego.