Diego Armando Maradona: The Day England Witnessed God
Many a revolution has altered the trajectory of mankind. From the moon landing to the scientific revolution, there have been many great achievements that have changed the perception of what humanity is truly capable of. None were as revolutionary as the day Maradona was introduced to the beautiful game.
The enigma that is Maradona can be described as a complex character at best, a life constantly surrounded by controversies, drug scandals and links to organized crime. Every logical segment of your mind instructs you to hold disdain for the man, but to watch Maradona play football speaks joy to your heart. Maradona played football like how you daydreamed as a child, where the impossible became inevitable. He dribbled the ball as if he were on skis, perfectly meandering through defenders like slalom gates with equal parts grace and power. Diego was able to link up play as if he was crafting a beautiful tapestry, with each thread being perfectly woven in order to display ultimate artistry.
To watch Maradona play in a game was not simply just about witnessing greatness, but it was to embark on an odyssey. An odyssey filled with twists and turns but also awe inspiring moments of wonder. No game has ever been such a perfect microcosm to represent a player as the World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England in 1986.
Politics on the Pitch
There is a sufficient correlation between progressing in a tournament and the raising of stakes, but for Argentina the stakes had never been higher. Just four years prior the Falklands war occurred between Argentina and England over the right to the Falkland Islands. The war lasted 74 days and resulted in approximately 1000 casualties, with Argentina suffering the most of these losses. The war ended in defeat for Argentina,leaving a lasting feeling of resentment and hatred amongst many Argentinians.
June 22nd, 1986 was more than just a football match, it was an opportunity for Maradona and the Argentinian national team to restore dignity for their nation and enact revenge upon the English. The bitterness that Argentina had as a nation for England was etched upon the La Albiceleste’s countenances as the Argentinian national anthem ceremoniously blared throughout Estadio Azteca.
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| Falklands War |
The stage was set in the incessant Mexican sun. With the spirit of Che Guevara embedded into his soul, and later on his skin, Maradona was to lead his comrades like a guerilla war general, unwilling to surrender to the hubris of the English. Thus, making what happens next oh so much more significant.
Hand of God
"Although we had said before the game that football had nothing to do with the Malvinas [Falklands] War, we knew they had killed a lot of Argentine boys there, killed them like little birds. And this was a revenge."
- Diego
The first half was rather uneventful compared to the spectacle that was the second half. It took until the 51st minute for the ball to hit the back of the net, but it was certainly worth the wait.
In the build up to the goal Maradona delicately carved his way through a trio of English opposition before laying the ball to a teammate. The ball was lifted high into the air by Steve Hodge, creating a perfect duel between the Argentine number ten and the English number one. This should have been a routine collection for a keeper as exceptional and experienced as Shilton, especially due to the fact that he stood at 6 foot 1 in comparison to Maradona’s diminutive 5 foot 5. However, the rules of nature ceased to exist as Maradona defiantly leapt through the air and prodded the ball into the net using his secret weapon, la Mano de Dios — the Hand of God. The stadium erupted as Maradona raced towards the corner flag, urging his compatriots to rejoice in celebration in order to create reasonable doubt around one of the grandest heists in football history.
The English swiftly protested, and still do forty years later. For this goal went against everything that the sport represented, spitting in the face of sportsmanship and honour. For the Argentinians this was divine intervention from God himself. This was Judgement Day for the English as they had to answer for the sins that they committed during the Falklands. In response to his brothers being gunned down “like little birds” Maradona rose like a phoenix, not just as a player, but as Argentina’s reckoning. In this brief moment Maradona was more than just a player, he was the entirety of Argentina triumphing in defiance of English oppression.
Goal of the Century.
“Maradona has the ball, two mark him, he touches the ball. The genius of world football dashes to the right and leaves the third and is going to pass to Burruchaga. It’s still Maradona! Genius! Genius! Genius! Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta. Gooooooooooal! Gooooooooooal! I want to cry! Dear God! Long live football! Gooooooooooal! Diegoal! Maradona! It’s enough to make you cry, forgive me. Maradona, in an unforgettable run, in the play of all time. Cosmic kite! What planet are you from? Leaving in your wake so many Englishmen, so that the whole country is a clenched fist shouting for Argentina? Argentina 2, England 0. Diegoal, Diegoal, Diego Armando Maradona. Thank you, God, for football, for Maradona, for these tears, for this, Argentina 2, England 0.”
- Victor Hugo Morales
As the world came to terms with one football’s greatest scandals, Maradona soon bestowed us with the brilliance he was truly capable of. If the Hand of God was a stain on the sport what Maradona did next was the absolute pinnacle, an ultimate refutation to any claims of illegitimacy. Just a measly four minutes later Maradona cemented his status as a footballing deity.
Maradona picked up the ball in his own half. His first act was to elegantly pivot between two of the English opposition, dispatching of their presence like a matador toying with a bull. Maradona
then carried the ball into the opposition half as the world held its breath anticipating what lay ahead. The third defender was swiftly evaded with the faintest of feints before the delicate touch inside. The fourth defender quickly engaged but was discarded as quickly as he challenged with the utmost ease. After Maradona carved through the English like a river, relentlessly slipping through stone in order to form its own destiny, all that was left was England’s number one. Shilton rushed out, trying to carry out his own vengeance after being embarrassed by the Hand of God. He closed down the angle for the shot perfectly, but the shot never came. Maradona left the keeper like his compatriots, lying on the battlefield, before gently rolling the ball over the goalmouth as if he was carrying out fate itself. The arena erupted as Maradona raced to the corner flag, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of what he had just accomplished.
The goal of the century will never be done justice simply via words alone, but the closest attempt is the live commentary from the Uruguayan journalist Victor Hugo Morales. As Maradona danced through the pitch Morales’ tone started to wither, what started as a measured retelling quickly devolved into almost a prayer. His choice of phrases blurred together, becoming a collection of incoherent syllables leading to a transcript that reads as though it was a sermon from a preacher being overcome by a religious spirit. The clarity of his words was exchanged for meaningful power. This was pure glossolalia, a man speaking in religious tongues as he tried to make sense of what was unfolding within him. In this moment Maradona turned the pitch into a cathedral, in which he was the messiah.
Conclusion
Maradona’s performance that day was more than just football—it was myth-making in real-time, a moment where sport transcended its own boundaries and became something divine. In the span of four minutes, he was both sinner and saint, a trickster and a prophet, a villain and a god. Whether through cunning deceit or pure, unfiltered genius, he gave Argentina the justice it craved and gifted the world a spectacle that would echo through eternity. For England, it was heartbreak; for football, it was history; for Maradona, it was immortality.
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