Diego Maradona

When football fans worldwide think of history’s greatest players, Diego Maradona is more often than not, atop everyone’s list. In a select company of great players, Maradona rises above them all. One might argue that the beautiful game belonged to Pele and it would be hard to argue with his phenomenal play for Santos, and his native Brazil in numerous World Cups. Perhaps German Jurgen Klinsman, and his days for As Monaco, Bayern Munich, and his 1990 World Cup victory, give reason to believe that he is indeed the best of all time. While both these players were indeed great, the diminutive 5 foot 5 inch Maradona played with a flair and love of the game, that allowed him to become not only the greatest attacking midfielder of his generation, but perhaps of all time.

Averaging a little over half a goal a game during his career, Maradona had a small stature that allowed him to maintain that low center of gravity, key to maintaining ball possession. Despite his small size, he was able to fight off defenders, pivot, and either sprint ahead, or pass up field. He was excellent with ball possession in constricted spaces, and had a second burst of speed which left defenders unable to keep up. Perhaps this was best exhibited in Maradona’s goal for Argentina in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal against England, in a display of brilliance that will forever considered the greatest goals in history. Maradona weaved through an England defense and made every defender seem merely human, on his way to a 50 yard goal that secured Argentina a 2-0 victory. It was a culmination of everything great about Maradona’s play, his quick burst of speed, his ball possession, and ability to maneuver in tight spaces. His World Cup career was marked with 21 games, with 8 goals. However, it was that magical 1986 World Cup appearance where Maradonna stole the show, winning the Golden Ball for best tournament player, captaining his Argentina team to a World Cup victory of Germany, and finishing the campaign with 5 goals and adding 5 assists.

During 490 games during his playing career, Maradonna scored 311 goals and matched that brilliant production with 31 goals over 91 international games for Argentina, an average that would make sports betting seem very attractive. Small in stature, but rising above everyone around him, Maradonna was an inspiration to his teammates, his fans, and football fans worldwide, who admired the small man’s tenacity and phenomenal abilities.

World’s Greatest Footballer: Diego Armando Maradona

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