Brazilian great Pele led global tributes to Diego Maradona, whose death was announced on Wednesday, saying one day they would “play soccer together in the sky”.
Renowned along with Pele as one of the finest players ever to grace the field, the Argentine World Cup-winning captain had undergone brain surgery this month and died of a heart attack, a member of his entourage told AFP.
Renowned for inspiring Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, Maradona was most loved at club level for his spells with Boca Juniors in his homeland and Napoli in Italy, where he won the club’s only two Serie A titles.
‘Ciao Diego’, ‘You are eternal’: Football icon Maradona dies at 60, tributes pour in
Maradona will forever be remembered for his “Hand of God” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final in Mexico City, when he pushed the ball into the net. Minutes later he swerved through the helpless English defenders for a superb second goal.
Watch: Diego Maradona’s ‘Goal of the Century’ against England in 1986 World Cup
The football world was plunged into mourning as touching tributes poured in for the player who was often called the greatest of them all for his skill with the ball. Here’s a look