Diego Maradona was born Oct 30, 1960, captained Argentina to 1986 World Cup victory, starred at Napoli, and died Nov 25, 2020
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Executive summary
Diego Armando Maradona was born on 30 October 1960 and is universally recorded as one of football’s greatest players; he captained and starred for Argentina in the 1986 World Cup and is widely associated with Napoli’s greatest era [1] [2] [3]. He died on 25 November 2020 of cardiac arrest following recent medical treatment, and Naples renamed its stadium in his honour shortly after his death [2] [4] [3].
1. Birth and early life: a working‑class prodigy
Maradona’s origin story is consistent across profiles: he was born on 30 October 1960 in the Buenos Aires area — various sources place his childhood in Lanús or Villa Fiorito — and rose from poverty to professional football as a teenager, joining Argentinos Juniors and debuting for the national team while still a teenager [1] [3] [5].
2. Peak achievements: 1986 World Cup and the Hand of God
Maradona’s defining international moment came at the 1986 World Cup, where he captained Argentina to the title and produced two of the tournament’s most famous goals in the quarter‑final against England — the “Hand of God” goal and the solo “Goal of the Century” — cementing his status as the tournament’s and nation’s hero [2] [6].
3. Club legend in Naples: transforming a city’s club
His transfer to Napoli made him a cultural and sporting phenomenon: Maradona lifted Napoli to heights they had not known before and became a hero to the city’s poor and passionate fanbase; the club later retired his No. 10 shirt and, after his death, renamed the Stadio San Paolo as Stadio Diego Armando Maradona [3] [4] [7].
4. Career arc and later roles: manager and public figure
After his playing peak Maradona’s career included spells at Barcelona and Sevilla, and later roles as a coach — notably Argentina’s national team at the 2010 World Cup and club appointments in Mexico and Argentina — keeping him in the public eye through to his death [6] [8].
5. Controversies and personal struggles: drugs, discipline and politics
Maradona’s life contained recurring controversies: documented suspensions and punishments for cocaine use, public disputes and legal troubles, and outspoken political alignments. Reporting shows his drug abuse and disciplinary problems were a significant part of his public narrative alongside his football genius [9] [2].
6. Death and immediate aftermath: cardiac arrest and tributes
Multiple profiles report Maradona died on 25 November 2020, aged 60, after suffering a heart attack while recovering from emergency brain surgery; his death prompted large tributes and the renaming of Napoli’s stadium on 4 December 2020 [2] [4].
7. Common confusions and what sources confirm
The central facts you asked about — birthdate (30 Oct 1960), leading Argentina to the 1986 World Cup, starring at Napoli, and death on 25 Nov 2020 — are consistently confirmed in the provided sources [1] [2] [3] [4]. Minor place‑name variations (Lanús vs Villa Fiorito as birthplace/childhood community) appear across sources and reflect reporting differences rather than substantive contradiction [3] [1].
8. Limitations and gaps in the available reporting
Available sources here do not provide exhaustive forensic detail about the medical circumstances immediately preceding his death beyond noting brain surgery and subsequent cardiac arrest [2]. They also vary on family details and the exact phrasing of his managerial tenures, so precise day‑by‑day timelines or legal case outcomes require targeted primary reporting or court records not included in these excerpts [6] [9].
9. Why these facts matter: legacy beyond the pitch
Maradona’s life stitched together sporting brilliance and social symbolism: he remains a polarising figure whose athletic achievements inspired global admiration, while his personal and political controversies shaped public debate — a dual legacy reflected in every major biography and encyclopedia entry cited here [1] [9].
If you want, I can compile a concise timeline of his club transfers and major honours from these same sources, or list where each source differs on a specific biographical detail.