What Maradona represents for Argentina and Latin America

“And, one day, it happened,” wrote Argentinian newspaper Clarín. 

Weeks after undergoing emergency surgery to treat a brain bleed, legendary Argentinian footballer Diego Armando Maradona suffered a fatal heart attack at his home in Buenos Aires on Wednesday afternoon. He died aged 60.

A World Cup winner and joint recipient of Fifa’s Player of the 20th Century award, Maradona is regarded as the greatest Argentinian footballer of all time and potentially the best in the history of the sport.

Upon hearing the news, Argentina declared three days of national mourning. He will receive a state funeral at the Casa Rosada, the seat of the Argentinian government. Tributes quickly flooded in from around the world, including former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who called Maradona “the best Brazil ever played against.”

Diego and Maradona

In his 21 years of professional football, Diego Maradona amassed success and glory, enchanting and inspiring millions around the globe. His contribution toward Argentina’s World Cup win in 1986 has gone down as one of the greatest performances international football’s top tournament has ever seen. His exploits at Italian club Napoli — which Maradona transformed from lowly also-rans into national champions — were superlative.

But his life off the field, particularly from 1990 onward, was defined by controversy, drug addiction, family problems, health complaints, and tax issues.

Those who knew him well often said he had two personalities, a typical assessment of global superstars with such immense talent. First, there was Diego, the urchin from the slums of Villa Fiorito on...