For millions across the globe, Diego Maradona is the greatest footballer to have set foot on the planet. He played in four FIFA World Cups, including the 1986 World Cup in Mexico where he captained Argentina and led them to the ultimate glory apart from winning the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. The maverick genius takes a walk down memory lane and looks back at five of his big World Cup moments.
First World Cup goal
June 18, 1982. Argentina beat Hungary 4-1
“I just wanted to score a goal somehow. We had lost our first match against Belgium and we were desperate to win. I had scored goals at the U-20 World Cup, but scoring on the soccer’s biggest stage was always special. That feeling was like giving my mum a peck on her cheek when she serves me breakfast in bed!”
A red card for kicking Batista
July 2, 1982. Argentina lost to Brazil 1-3
“I discussed it years later with Batista. We were trailing 1-3 and I lost temper when they started making fun of us. Batista said to me: “No, Diego. That’s just the football we feel inside us”. If we were three goals up and started singing ‘Ole! Ole! Ole!’ as we kicked the ball around, then you would also get angry. Yes, I kicked him, and I still feel it was only a natural reaction.”
Goal of the Century
June 22, 1986. Argentina beat England 2-1
“I never ever scored another goal like that. Scoring a goal dribbling past several opposition players in a World Cup is every kid’s dream. I still don’t know what Peter Shilton was doing. I don’t know if some external supernatural power or a UFO came down and took him away. He just left the goalmouth wide open for me. I just went past him and buried the ball in the back of the net. My mother used to watch that clip repeatedly on TV.”
Shootout win over Italy
July 3, 1990. Argentina beat Italy 4-3 on penalties (1-1 after extra time)
“I had missed a penalty against Yugoslavia in the previous match (quarterfinals). So, when I walked from the centre circle to take the kick, I whispered to myself: ‘If you miss it, you’re an idiot. If you miss, you’re a criminal. You can’t betray all the people who love you – your mum, dad, brothers, the people of Argentina, everyone! Fortunately, I scored as we knocked the Italians out and entered the final.”
A magical assist
June 24, 1990. Argentina beat Brazil 1-0
“The Brazilians blamed Alemao for that goal, but I got past him pretty quickly. The one who posed a real threat to me was Dunga. I used my elbow on to stop him getting at me. When Cani (Claudio Caniggia) scored, I thanked God. He barely celebrated that goal and stood on the pitch like nothing big happened. When I met him afterwards, I told him: ‘Listen, do you know what you did today?’ He said: ‘Yes, I scored a goal’. No, you didn’t! You reduced a whole stadium to silence, I told him.”