On Wednesday the 25th, footballing legend and Argentine icon Diego Maradona passed away.
Diego Maradona was as prolific as any player can be. He was a finisher, a dribbler, a playmaker. Everything a player could want as an advanced midfielder, he had.
Play his career highlights back. Right after, watch a greatest goals of all time video. There will be a tremendous amount of overlap. Diego Maradona was the centerpiece of some of the greatest plays in the history of the sport.
In recent times, his greatness has been diluted with comparisons with lesser players. Still, football fans can never overlook that Maradona was a pioneer for all players after him.
Maradona did this by taking his position and making it his own. For the trequartista, or the number 10 role, he was the poster boy. In fact, it can be said that every number 10 after him watched his highlights as ideal examples. It is well known that one of his biggest rivals for the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi, took many cues from his compatriot.
The number 10 position still remains one of the most important roles on the pitch. When a team obtains a great number 10, their entire play improves. Number 10s are crucial for their respective teams and can make an immense difference on the field. Maradona exhibited this importance and responsibility throughout his legendary playing career.
His most iconic tenure to many was his time at Napoli. Nowadays, teams have three to four all star players. When Maradona achieved European glory with the Italian club, it was near single-handedly. Napoli is forever in debt for his impact on their team, and in Naples, he is regarded as a God.
In Argentina, he may have surpassed that title. In 1986, he brought home the biggest honor: The World Cup. Though it was only 8 years since their previous win, they had not won it since, and the Argentines were begging for it to come back. The picture of Diego holding the World Cup trophy has been put in numerous shrines dedicated to the man himself.
Fans everywhere cheered him on. In Spain he won. In Italy he won. For his country, he won. A serial winner like Maradona makes his way around the world and into the hearts of so many fans, inspiring generations ahead. Though his physical presence has moved on, his inspiration and impact will never leave.
As is said, legends never die, and to many, Maradona is immortal.
