Maradona has died at 60

The world of soccer is in mourning. Diego Armando Maradona, the Argentine soccer legend and one of the best (if not the best) players of all time, passed away this Wednesday at his home in Tigre, Argentina. According to preliminary reports, he died of a heart attack, after some time of being ill.

Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Maradona's list of records and achievements is impressive. Among these are having participated in four World Cups (1982, 86, 90, 94), having won the one in 86; to have been crowned as the FIFA Player of the Century in 2000 along with Pele, to be the fourth player with the most points in the history of the Argentine national team, a Coppa Italia, a Copa del Rey, a UEFA Cup and so many more achievements than This article would not be enough for us to finish naming them.

His figure, however, transcends soccer and it can be said without exaggeration that he is one of the most iconic characters of the 20th century in Latin America. He rose as a hero of the working class in his country for some and as a messianic figure for others. The Maradonian church, a parody religion founded in his honor in 1998, spread throughout the world with the purpose of keeping his figure and his legacy current. His figure also inspired a large number of references in popular culture, including, of course, several songs, such as: "Dale alegría a mi corazón" by Fito Paez, "Maradona Blues" by Charlie García and "La vida tombola" by Manu Chao, among others.

Also read: Statistics show why the Colombian soccer team is in trouble

However, Maradona was not without controversy. Beyond the criticism about his confrontational attitude on the playing field, the episode of "La mano de Dios" in the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup is well known, as well as his various excesses with drugs, particularly with cocaine. Also questionable is his career as a technical director, which did not get the best results. However, as he once said "The ball is not stained" and his skill and leadership were always able to transcend his controversies.

Then, Maradona will be remembered for what he was: a synonym for soccer and an icon bigger than its controversies. The whole world of soccer and especially Argentina mourns the death of this great idol. There are a couple of huge soccer cleats left to fill.