Football player Diego Maradona is considered by many to be the greatest player in history. The Argentinean football player was born on October 30, 1960, in a small Buenos Aires town called Villa Fiorito. He started playing professional football at the age of 15, and by then he was already considered as a demigod in the sport.

Diego Maradona’s talent was instantly recognized in his home country, and slowly, he was gaining popularity around the world. The national squad invited him to join the team when he was 16, although the coach, Cesar Minotti, thought he was too young. In 1982, he finally joins the domestic team, set to play against Spain. He was instrumental in the team’s beating of Salvador and Hungary by scoring two impressive goals during the tournament’s first stage.

The 1986 World Cup, held in Mexico, brought to light his technical skills and his controversial methods. He was known for being able to withstand great physical pressure and a brilliant strategist. His trademark moves consisted of full-speed dribbling and being able to easily pass the ball to his teammates, as well as the Rabona, a technique in reverse cross-passing. Tensions were already high at the time between Argentina and England, due to the Falkland Islands conflict. The game opening saw a fantastic kick by Diego Maradona, quickly scoring 1-0, although he used his hand over the goalkeeper’s head. What was originally ruled as a goal was later retracted when he was faced with a video that showed the illegal aspect of his method. The upcoming matches were proof of his genius, winning the world cup for Argentina.

The early 1990’s brought Diego Maradona even more fame, as he was instrumental in beating Brazil, Yugoslavia, and Italy in the World Cup finals. However, after losing to West Germany, his career took a serious beating. The fact that he was tested positive for doping in 1991 did not help at all. He was suspended from the team, which affected the Argentinean team and caused them to lose against Romania.

He tried to revitalize his career by becoming a coach for some teams and sharing his methods and techniques, but he was unable to sustain being in one club for more than four months. Diego Maradona eventually returns as a player, going back to his old club Boca Juniors. He stayed for two years before finally announcing his retirement from the game that made him famous around the world. He was in and out of rehab for cocaine addiction in the early 2000’s.

During the same year he was being treated for addiction, a worldwide internet poll showed that thousands of his fans had not yet lost hope in Maradona; voting him as Best Football Player of the Century. But because FIFA found the results unacceptable, he shared the title with other football legend, Pele. In November 2001, he played his farewell match in a team consisting of some of the finest football players in the world.