Argentinian great Diego Maradona has died following a reported cardiac arrest. The footballing icon has passed away aged just 60 years old.
Maradona Dies at 60
One of the Greatest of All Time
While many disagree on the order, few can argue that Maradona is one of the greatest players to ever grace a football pitch. Despite his struggles off the field, what he was able to achieve with a ball at his feet will go down in history.
Taking a lacklustre Napoli side to the top of the Serie A, dragging an ageing 1990 Argentina side to the World Cup finals, and most significantly, winning football’s most prized competition for his country in 1986. He also played for Barcelona and Boca Juniors throughout his accomplished career.
Maradona epitomized an era. While Pele marked the generation before him, and Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have taken centre-stage in this generation, the 80s and 90s were owned by the Argentinian magician.
Champion’s Mentality
While he was obviously incredibly talented, what separates Maradona from the rest was his mentality. For a large part of his career, he was not in a good physical state. He didn’t spend millions on maintaining his body as athletes do nowadays.
The reason he was able to bring a trophy home to Argentina, though, was his will to win. When he was really plugged in, he would not be defeated, and he would do whatever it takes. This type of mentality is what made him so special, what made him insatiable, and at the end of the day, what made him a winner.
Maradona won’t go down as the man who struggled with alcohol and drug issues throughout his life. He’ll go down as the man who brought hope to a nation, the man who inspired so many, and the man who is known as the “God of football” in Argentina.
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