This week the world lost one of the greatest footballers of all-time. More than that, we lost a cultural icon; a man who did it his way, remaining unapologetically himself, right to the end. He was the OG influencer, a style leader, and his legacy is written in stone. Diego Maradona: gone, but never forgotten.
If there’s one name associated with football that everyone in the world knows, it’s Maradona. His story spans several generations, and it will undoubtedly be passed on through many more; he was one of the best footballers this planet has ever seen, and his ability on the pitch was matched only by his exuberance off of it as he carved his way through defences and life with equal verve and swagger. Never a dull moment with this guy around.
He was the first rock and roll footballer, rising in stature through the late 70s and early 80s with his unstoppable approach, fearlessly taking on a role not only as a great player, but as a style icon and a role model, giving birth to a whole new breed of ballers who tried to emulate his miracles on the pitch for years to come. Sure there was Maradona on the pitch, but there was also Diego off of it – forget your Kardashians and your Selena Gomezes: this was the original influencer.
He was the perfect anti-hero; the bad guy you couldn’t help but love. Wherever he went, controversy was never far behind, and his story was probably best encapsulated by that one match against England in 1986, where he scored one of the most infamous goals of all time, along with one of the greatest, all on the way to leading his nation to World Cup glory.
Sure there’s Pelé, and now any conversation centred around the greatest of all time will inevitably and rightly include Messi and Ronaldo, but Maradona was the only one to lead – no, drag – his nation to the highest accolade in world football. And if that weren’t proof enough of his startling ability, he also achieved a similar feat at club level with Napoli.
Despite his well-documented demons, Maradona should be remembered for his raw attitude and his courage in the face of adversity. It was these qualities that people admired, and that should now lead to him being forever remembered as the icon that he is. Without football, Maradona would’ve been nothing. But without Maradona, football would not be what it is today.
Goodbye legend. Football will miss you.
