Diego Maradona has died at the age of 60, according to reports from his native Argentina.- He is reported to have suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Tigre, Buenos Aires, where he had been recovering after undergoing brain surgery in early November.
- Maradona is widely considered one of the greatest
soccer players of all time, but off the field he struggled with issues surrounding addiction and numerous health battles.
Diego Maradona has died at the age of 60, according to reports from his native Argentina.
He is reported to have suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Tigre, Buenos Aires, where he had been recovering after undergoing brain surgery in early November.
The news of Maradona's death has been confirmed by the Argentine Football Association (AFA).
"The Argentine Football Association, through its President Claudio Tapia, expresses its deepest sorrow for the death of our legend, Diego Armando Maradona," the organization tweeted.
"You will always be in our hearts."
—AFA (@afa) November 25, 2020
Maradona is considered as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, enjoying successful spells with Barcelona, Napoli, and the Argentine national team, with whom he won the World Cup in 1986.
During a quarter final match against England in Mexico City at the 1986 World Cup, Maradona produced two of the most memorable moments in soccer history.
First, he deliberately handled the ball into the net to give Argentina the lead – a goal that would later go on to be known as the "Hand of God."
In the second half, he then ran almost the entire length of the pitch, dribbling past five England players before rounding the goalkeeper and scoring.
In 2002, the strike was voted the "Goal of the Century."
Throughout his career, however, Maradona suffered a well documented battle with drug and alcohol addiction, leading to him experience numerous health problems including hepatitis, internal bleeding caused by a hernia in the stomach, and most recently, a blood clot on the brain.
In 2008, he also spent time in psychiatric clinic specializing in alcohol-related problems.
Maradona's death sparked a wave of tributes from around the world, with Brazil's Pele, who is often listed alongside Maradona in the pantheon of soccer greats, saying: "One day we'll kick a ball together in the sky above."
Reuters reports that Argentina will go into a three-day-long period of mourning following Maradona's death.
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