Inspiration
Maradona was the prime example of a rags to riches story. He was a boy from Buenos Aires who gave children around the world a dream that they could also reach his level of fame and glory. Diego reportedly shared a room with seven siblings. Sanitation facilities in his neighborhood were not up to par and violence was a common occurence. Locals can recall Maradona being uneducated and unsophisticated. Some say that all he had in life was football. After years of growing his skills at the youth and senior levels of Argentina, his decision to move to one of the poorest cities in Italy and win titles at Napoli football club is what has cemented his status as a legend in the Italian leagues.
Influence on Modern Game
Lionel Messi is often touted as the greatest player in the world and of all time. Diego Maradona and Messi are often compared due to their similar style of play and their shared nationality. Before Messi, there was Maradona. After Maradona, Messi was dubbed the "New Maradona." Both players can boast about their respective and highly respected individual and team accomplishments. However, it remains a controversial topic amongst Argentines (and other fans) over who the greatest player was. Maradona is often considered by many Argentines to be the best since he won the World Cup for Argentina in 1986, an achievement that Messi has not accomplished. Above all, Maradona is considered to be one of the greatest dribblers, freekick takers, and scorers of all time which are all qualities that Messi possesses. Both wore the number 10 for Argentina and FC Barcelona. A goal that Messi scored in the Spanish league also mirrors Maradona's "Goal of the Century." It is moments such as these that trouble many football fans and analysts when deciding who the better player is between the two.
Quotes from Players on Maradona
"For me Maradona is more than football. What he did as a footballer, in my opinion, he will be remembered forever. When you see number 10 who do you think about? Maradona. It is a symbol, even today there are those who choose that number for him" - Zlatan Ibrahimovic
"When Diego scored that second goal against us, I felt like applauding. I’d never felt like that before, but it’s true… and not just because it was such an important game. It was impossible to score such a beautiful goal." - Gary Lineker (British footballer) on Maradona's "Goal of the Century"
"If anyone inspired me, it was undoubtedly (Maradona)." - Lionel Messi
"He was from another planet. He was different." - Francisco Cornejo, Maradona's youth coach
"Some say Pele was the greatest player of all time, but not me. Maradona will always be the greatest. He won World Cup in 1986, narrowly lost in the final in 1990 and then in 1994 maybe would have won it again had he not been banned. The crucial difference with Pele is that Maradona wasn’t surrounded by great players; he had to carry the team himself. If you took Maradona out of Argentina they would not win the World Cup, but I think Brazil without Pele would still have won." - Eric Cantona
"Today his skills would afford him greater protection. Back then they merely served as the red rag of provocation that would guarantee he would be the victim of brutal challenges wherever he played. The rules changed as a direct result of some of the injuries Maradona received. When I interviewed him a few years ago, he told me he thought players such as Lionel Messi owed him a great deal because some of the tackles he had endured would never be allowed today." - Guillem Balagué
"There will never be anyone like Maradona again, not even if Messi wins three World Cups in succession or scores a bicycle kick from midfield." - Hector Enrique, Maradona's Argentine teammate
"If I die, I want to be born again and I want to be a footballer. And I want to be Diego Armando Maradona again. I'm a player who's given people joy and that's enough for me, it's more than enough." - Diego Maradona