Happy birthday, Mr. Maradona. If you have even the slightest interest in soccer, dating is something you can’t avoid. Newspapers and publications praised him, his best skills, highest aspirations and the most memorable moments of his career were reported on television and, most importantly, on online social networks.
Today, October 30th, he would have turned 65 years old. Elsewhere in the Spanish-speaking world, there would have been crazy birthday celebrations. He would have been the most popular person on social media, at least for a few hours. But that wouldn’t have mattered because Diego Armando Maradona is no longer with us. Five years ago, we lost the most precious part of football. But let’s take a moment to remember the late Diego and his famous words.
Watching the ball, chasing the ball makes me the happiest person in the world. I made a mistake and paid the price. But the ball is still pure. I am Maradona, who scores goals and makes mistakes. I can accept everything, I have enough shoulders to fight with anyone. You can say a lot of things about me, but you can never say that I don’t take risks. When I wear a varsity shirt, the mere touch of it against my skin makes me do handstands. I’m black or white. I will never be gray. If there was a hand, it was the hand of God. The goal was scored partly by the hand of God and partly by Maradona’s head. If I could apologize and go back in time and change history, I would. But the goal was still the goal, Argentina became world champions and I was the best player in the world. There can be no debate as to who was the best soccer player the world has ever seen: me or Pele. Everyone would say me.
The only game he immortalized, the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England in Mexico, will always be in the Hall of Fame. In the team’s 2–1 victory, Maradona scored two goals. The famous “Hand of God” goal and, less than five minutes later, the iconic half-line dribble that won him the Goal of the Century award at the 2002 World Cup. On November 25, 2020, the legendary number 10 passed away from a heart attack.
