Amid Diego Maradona's passing, a look back at his greatest moment as a foot

Alex Streinger

On November 25, 2020, Argentine soccer/football legend Diego Maradona passed away at the age of 60 from cardiac arrest. Maradona’s life was one for the ages, full of successes, failures, and controversies. But the thousands that filled the streets of Argentina to honor the footballer, the moments of silences in soccer matches around the world and the statements made by the biggest clubs in Europe showed the true impact the former World Cup Champion had on the sport.

When Maradona retired at the age of 37 in 1997, he had rose to the top and became  one of the most accomplished soccer players of all time. Maradona led Argentina to victory in the 1986 Wold Cup—possibly his greatest achievement.  After the Argentinians won in 1978, they confidently arrived in Mexico—the host of the 1986 World Cup— favored to win. Leaning on captain Maradona, Argentina  defeated West Germany 3-2 in the final on June 29th. Although he didn’t score in the final, Maradona ended the tournament with five goals and the Golden Ball trophy for best player. There were a lot of memorable moments in that World Cup, perhaps the most well-known event today is the “Hand of God.”

On June 22nd, Argentina matched up against  the favored English team led by Gary Lineker—the eventual top scorer of the tournament with six goals. In the fifty first minutes with the game still scoreless, Maradona passed two England defenders and passed it off to teammate Jorge Valdano, who was guarded closely by England’s Steve Hodge. Hodge attempted to clear the ball after Maradona’s pass went behind Valdano, but instead, he set up Maradona against England’s goal keeper Peter Shilton. Shilton came out of his goal, but was beaten to the ball by Maradona, who scored a spectacular headed goal—an impressive move considering Maradona's stature of 5-foot-5-inches. However, it later became  clear that Maradona had extended his hand and used it to score the goal, which is illegal for a field player to do. English players surrounded the referee complaining, but the goal stood. Four minutes later, in the fifty fifth minute, Maradona received the ball around the midfield line, and proceeded to score what many claim is the greatest goal in the history of soccer. In ten seconds, Maradona ran sixty yards close to  the ball, passing by four English players before scoring his second goal of the game. This incredible moment is known today as “The Goal of the Century.” With the help of Maradona, Argentina won despite England’s attempt to make a comeback. Argentina pushed through to the semifinals, where they defeated Belgium 2-0. Maradona once again scored both of Argentina’s goals in quick succession, one in the fifty-second minute and the other in the sixty-third. The second goal of the semifinals was similar to Maradona’s second goal against England—as Maradona blew by four defenders before defeating Belgium’s goal keeper Jean-Marie Pfaff with a well-placed shot. After West Germany defeated France 2-0 hours earlier, the World Cup final in Estadio Azteca in Mexico Citywas set—with a vast live audience of 114,600.

Maradona’s impact on soccer will be remembered forever. He turned the heads of thousands with his amazing skills and overall play. Despite his controversies, what Maradona did on the field will be cherished by fans all around the world for years to come.