Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona, (1960- ). Argentinian soccer player. Born in a shanty-town of Buenos Aires, he became famous as a child for his foot-juggling displays on television. He became a professional footballer at 15 and in 1982 was sold to Barcelona for a then-record fee. By this time he was widely known for his flamboyant skills and his temperamental behaviour. He was transferred to Napoli in 1984 and in 1986 led Argentina to victory in the World Cup (a triumph made possible by Maradona’s notorious handballed goal against England in the quarter-final). In 1991 he was banned from world football for 18 months for using cocaine; a further ban was imposed in 1994 for his use of stimulants.
