Diego Maradona: Mexico 1986, Napoli and Argentina legacy

Maradona became a teenage star in Argentina before moving through Boca Juniors and into European football.

· Updated Sep 28, 2026

Maradona became a teenage star in Argentina before moving through Boca Juniors and into European football.

Argentinos and Boca

Maradona became a teenage star in Argentina before moving through Boca Juniors and into European football.

Mexico 1986

As captain, he led Argentina to the World Cup title and won the tournament's Golden Ball.

England quarter-final

The match produced both the Hand of God goal and the dribble later named FIFA's Goal of the Century.

Napoli era

At Napoli, Maradona became the defining figure of the club's first great title-winning era.

Italia 1990

Argentina reached another World Cup final with Maradona as captain, finishing runners-up to West Germany.

Legacy with context

His football influence is historic; subjective greatest-ever debates should remain clearly framed as opinion.