SportsCelebrating The Talent of Maradona On His 60th Birthday

Celebrating The Talent of Maradona On His 60th Birthday

THEWILL APP ADS 2

BEVERLY HILLS, October 30, (THEWILL) – On the perennial debate about who the Greatest Of All Time footballing talent is, it does not matter where one stands, the undeniable fact remains, that the legacy of Diego Armando Maradona can never be denied.

There will be some who will place him behind a prodigy like his similarly diminutive left-footed compatriot Lionel Messi as Argentina’s greatest ever footballer, and others who will rate him short of Edson Arantes do Nascimento (aka Pele) in the sport’s pantheon of the mighty. Just as there will be others who will argue that Maradona eclipses them all.

This debate has raged on for decades and is unlikely to be settled any time soon.

Yet, as THEWILL celebrates Maradona today, what is abundantly clear to all and what no one can rationally dispute is that in Mexico of 1986, Maradona produced a series of performances to rival anything the World Cup has ever witnessed. And that will forever cement the genius of his talent.

Beginning from the fixtures in the group stages to the final match against West Germany, by way of the “Goal of the Century” and an incredible brazen moment of cheating, the iconic Argentine was so far above his contemporaries that the sheer idea of anyone else winning the Golden Ball was inconceivable.

Argentina skipped past South Korea, drew with the Italians and beat Bulgaria in the group contests. In the knockout stages, they saw off Uruguay, scaled over England and left Belgium behind before a 3-2 final defeat of West Germany.

Maradona was the beating heart of everything that led to the Albiceleste’s second World Cup triumph.

The English striker Gary Lineker was the only player to score more goals (six) at the 1986 World Cup than Maradona (five). It remains the only category where the Argentine did not come out on top.

To his five goals, he added five assists in seven appearances, giving him the most goal involvements (10) of any player, ahead of the USSR’s Igor Belanov (eight), and Lineker, the Brazilian Antonio de Oliveira Filho, better known as Careca and the Danish striker Preben Elkjaer Larsen who all had six goal involvements each.

Maradona also created more goalscoring chances (27) than any other player. Next on the list was France’s Alain Giresse (24), then Germany’s Klaus Allofs (23), France’s Michel Platini (19) and Brazil’s Careca (17).

Trying to man-mark this prolific striker was as successful as trying to drown a blown balloon. Everyone tried, most famously in that final fixture against West Germany. None succeeded.

The forward completed 53 dribbles across the tournament, a stat that puts the rest of the competition to shame. Second to that was by USSR’s Ivan Yaremchuk, who managed 16.

It was the kind of dazzling play that attracted a more prosaic approach from the opposition. Maradona was fouled 53 times, which more than doubled the number of anyone else. The Uruguayan Enzo Francescoli was next at just 27 fouls won.

The all-round impact of the legend’s stature on proceedings could only come from the freedom the player was granted to drop deep and gain possession of the ball from lesser men. That he still managed 44 touches in the opposition box was such an incredible feat that it was eight more than the next-highest on the list, Brazil’s Careca. English striker Lineker, winner of the Golden Boot, had 31 such touches.

The English will, of course, never forget Maradona’s impact on their 2-1 quarter-final defeat in Mexico City, the scene of his greatest goal. That mazy, miraculous waltz through the heart of the opposition that ended with the bamboozling of goalkeeper Peter Shilton is etched forever in the minds of most football fans who have seen it.

There is also his crowning moment of infamy to bring to mind, when “The Hand of God” punched Argentina into the lead and to victory.

Perhaps that wasn’t such a one-off, though. Since 1966, no player has committed as many handballs at the World Cup as Maradona (seven) – and they’re just the ones the referees spotted.

THEWILL believes it is for his showing in that competition and what joy he was able to bring to the heart of many a football fan then and after – taking Napoli to domestic glory twice – that he will ultimately be remembered, and if anything his legend seems to grow, not diminish, as the years and decades go by irrespective of occasions of excesses, scandals, drugs, near-death and controversies.

THEWILL joins the world in celebrating a true football icon. Happy birthday, Diego Armando Maradona.

About the Author

Homepage | Recent Posts

Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

More like this
Related

Stage Set For Sinner, Medvedev For Rematch At Miami Masters

March 28, (THEWILL) - Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev...

NERC Spots Error In Removal Of Tinuade Sanda As EKEDC MD/CEO, Other Management Staff, Clarifies Directive

March 28, (THEWILL) - The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission...