Diego Armando Maradona Franco, born 30 October 1960 in Buenos Aires, is an Argentine former footballer. He has served as a manager and coach at other clubs as well as for the national team of Argentina. Many experts, football critics, former players, current players and football fans regard Maradona as the greatest football player of all time. He was joint FIFA Player of the 20th Century with Pelé.At the age of 10, Maradona joined “Los Cebollitas”, the youth team of Argentinos Juniors and he started to show his prodigious ability, he led his team to an awesome 136 unbeaten streak games. At the unusual age of 15, he made his professional debut with Argentinos Juniors during a match against Talleres de Córdoba. With Argentinos he was 5 times in a row top scorer into the Argentina first division tournaments (Metropolitano and Nacional) between 1978 and 1980.In 1977 at the age of 16 he made his international debut with Argentina National Team during a match against Hungary and he scored his first international goal two years later, against Scotland at Hampden Park. In 1979, he led the Argentina Under-20 team to win the World Cup played in Japan, he got the Golden Ball as best player of the tournament.In 1981, Maradona was transferred to Boca Juniors and achieved the Metropolitano championship in his first year with the club. In 1982, Maradona was transferred to FC Barcelona and he won Spanish League Cup and Copa del Rey before left the team to be transferred to SS Napoli from Italy in 1984, In this club Maradona got his biggest success achieving several tournaments for first time into this club’s history.A playmaker who operated in the classic number 10 position, Maradona is the only player in football history to set the world record transfer fee twice, first when he transferred to Barcelona for a then world record £5m, and second, when he transferred to Napoli for another record fee £6.9m. He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli where he won numerous accolades. In his international career with Argentina, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. Maradona's exceptional vision, passing, ball control, dribbling skills, speed, reflexes and thinking time was combined with his small size (he was 5'5", or 1.65m) giving him a low center of gravity which allowed him to be more maneuverable than most other football players; he would often dribble past multiple opposing players on a run. His presence on the pitch would have a great effect on his team's general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname "El Pibe de Oro" ("The Golden Boy"), a name that stuck with him throughout his career.Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups, including the 1986 World Cup in Mexico where he captained Argentina and led them to victory over West Germany in the final, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. In the 1986 World Cup quarter final, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England that entered football history for two different reasons. The first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the "Hand of God", while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England players, voted "The Goal of the Century" by FIFA.com voters in 2002.Maradona coached two clubs in Argentina, Deportivo Mandiyu and Racing Club, as well UAE club Al Wasl. In 2008, he was appointed as the head coach of the Argentina National Team until 2010 World Cup.
Maradona is born
Scouted age 11 for the junior team of Argentinos Juniors
Makes his professional debut aged 15
Makes his full international debut for Argentina aged just 16
Top scorer of the Argentina’s First Division Championship
Scores his first international goal and wins the Under-20 World Cup in Japan
Top scorer of the Argentina’s First Division Championship (Fifth time in a row)
Transfer to Boca Juniors for $ 1.96 million and wins the Argentina First Division Championship
Plays his first World Cup for Argentina scoring twice. Afterwards he is transferred to FC Barcelona from Spain for a then world record $9.81 million
Wins the Spanish League Cup and Copa del Rey with FC Barcelona
Transferred to Napoli from Italy and 70.000 spectators welcomed him at the San Paolo Stadium
Named UNICEF ambassador
Wins the World Cup with Argentina in Mexico. Is Golden Ball (Best Player of the tournament)
Wins the Italian Serie A and the Italian Cup With Napoli. Is top scorer in Italian Serie A.
Italian Cup top scorer with Napoli
Wins UEFA Cup with Napoli
World Cup Runner-up with Argentina in Italy. Wins his second Italian Serie A and Italian Super Cup with Napoli.
Transfer to Sevilla from Spain
Wins Artemio Franchi Trophy with Argentina and is transferred to Newell’s Old Boys from Argentina
Plays his fourth World Cup with Argentina, in United States.
Comes back to Boca Juniors
Plays his last official game against River Plate aged 36.
Enjoys a tribute match surrounded by many football stars.
Matches Played
Club Trophies
Goals Scored
AA Argentinos Juniors
1976 - 1981
CA Boca Juniors
1981 - 1982 & 1995 - 1997
FC Barcelona
1982 - 1984
SS Calcio Napoli
1984 - 1992
Sevilla FC
1992 – 1993
CA Newell's Old Boys
1993
Club Titles Won
91
34
4
Argentina National Team Titles Won