The Myth and Magic of Diego Maradona
Few footballers have captured the world’s imagination quite like Diego Armando Maradona.
The iconic Argentinian is arguably the most famous footballer in history and reached divine status in his home country after leading them to 1986 World Cup glory.
Early Years
Maradona showed prodigious talent from a young age playing in the youth teams of Argentinos Juniors. By age 15, he debuted professionally for them in the Argentine Primera Division and would go on to make 167 appearances, scoring 115 goals.
His phenomenal performances as a teenager attracted attention globally and in 1982, Barcelona paid a world record $7.6 million fee for the 21-year-old Maradona, where he debuted in La Liga.
Success at Napoli
After a tumultuous 2 years at Barcelona, he transferred to Serie A side Napoli in 1984 for another record fee of $10.5 million. This moved stunned the Italian football hierarchy as Napoli had never won a Scudetto. But with Maradona elevating the club, they captured their first ever Serie A title in 1987 and won again in 1990.
Maradona spent 7 seasons at Napoli, scoring 115 goals across all competitions while being the creative focal point of their attack. His ability to…
