Diego Armando Maradona was a genius and inspiration to many in the football/soccer world. The death of the start has sent sadness and grievance worldwide while also allowing many to remember why he will go down as one of the best players of all time.
Argentina will have three days of national mourning to mark the loss of Maradona or locally known as El Diego, celebrating the life of a genius who inspired many Argentines to pursue their dreams with his impressive story, skills, and character on and off the pitch.
Just like how crisis prevention and intervention software has helped many people overcome their health issues, Maradona has shed new light on the world-famous game — encouraging people to appreciate the sport more and inspiring many to follow in his footsteps.
To many, Maradona was the greatest, but he didn’t achieve that title overnight.
Maradona was one of six kids and was born with a low-income family, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his dreams of becoming a professional soccer player—and ever since, he joined Argentinos Juniors and Boca Juniors, the rest is history. He continued to play no matter the money issues his family was having and eventually brought his family out of poverty.
However, like most geniuses, Maradona had his flaws, with his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction during his pro days and after his career as the most notable ones, placing a severe strain on his body as several surgeries, and bouts of sickness arrived. In fact, several times over the last decades, it looked like Maradona’s time was ticking, but he always fought his way back.
His capabilities to fight back and rise against all odds were just as admirable as his skills on the pitch.
Soccer fans will be talking about Maradona 100 years from now, not only because of how he played the sport but also because of his strong and passionate character—on and off the pitch.
Decades of kids have grown up trying to replicate Maradona’s skills and creativity, as millions have dropped their jaws and scratched their heads when watching the legend live, videos of his brilliance, or reading books about his inspirational tale off the pitch.
Maradona’s most notable accomplishment was his first iconic goal, known as ‘the Hand of God,’ in the official World Cup back in 1986. Maradona quickly became an idol and leader for many people in Argentina. His abrupt change of clubs to Napoli in 1984 surprised the world as Maradona led the team to two Serie A titles, which was the first in club history.
Maradona was one of the best examples of ‘rags to riches’ stories. He was the impoverished boy from Buenos Aires who inspired children worldwide to dream big and that they too can reach what he has accomplished.
Many mourned the star’s death, with fellow Argentine Lionel Messi saying that although he’s physically gone, he isn’t going anywhere because he is eternal—truly leaving a legacy that all will remember.
Maradona has left an immeasurable legacy in many ways — and will forever be remembered as a legend.