Argentinian soccer legend Diego Maradona has died at 60-years-old from a heart attack. Considered one of the best players of all time, fans and players from across the world mourned his death.
The midfielder-turned-coach had underwent brain surgery earlier in November to treat subdural hematoma.
Maradona began his professional career as a teen, playing for the Argentinos Juniors in just 1976, making him the youngest Argentinian to play professional soccer. After a brief stint with the Boca Juniors in 1981 and 1982, he moved to the European soccer league, joining FC Barcelona in 1982. He played for Argentina national team in four World Cup appearances in 1982, 1986, 1990, and 1994. In 1986, he led the team to a victory.
In 2000, a poll from FIFA to name the "Player of the Century" led to much controversy. Maradona won an internet poll of fans, declaring him the winner, but a "Football Family" poll of subscribers and a FIFA jury named Brazilian player Pelé the winner. The two were both given the award, much to fans' chagrin.
After retiring in the late 90s, Maradona became a coach for the Argentina national team, beginning in 2008. He coached a few other teams, including a club in the United Arab Emirates, and most recently the Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata in Argentina.
With the announcement of his death on Wednesday, football fans from around the globe mourned Maradona's loss. International football clubs tweeted out condolences showing how widespread the player's popularity reached. "A genius of his art. A master of our game. One of the all-time greats," England's Chelsea Football Club wrote.
Players both paid tribute to Maradona's greatness and mourned his loss. England National team captain Harry Kane shared a photo himself meeting Maradona and wrote that it was a "privilege" to get to know the icon. Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, Brazilian forward Neymar, and former Nottingham Forest striker Stan Collymore all tweeted about what a loss Maradona was for the world soccer community. Collymore called him the "greatest player I've ever seen."
Sports reporters also shared the news of his loss with sadness, praising his legacy, but also acknowledging issues that he had. Many journalists qualified descriptions of Maradona as genius with "flawed," probably referring to battles the player faced with cocaine addiction. Despite issues, many journalists still called him one of the best. The Independent football correspondent Melissa Reddy remarked that Maradona "could warm up better than many could actually play the game."
Perhaps, the most heartwarming tribute came from his fellow Player of the Century Pelé. "Certainly, one day we'll kick a ball together in the sky above," the player told Reuters in a statement.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.