Diego Maradona died on 25 November 2020. He was voted the joint-greatest player of the 20th century, along with Pele. But Maradona won the popular vote. Pele was the candidate of the Fifa establishment and the sport’s corporate sponsors. Maradona was the greatest footballer who ever lived, but he never ‘played the game’. Here are five books to help you understand him and his world.
Touched by God: How We Won the Mexico '86 World Cup
by Daniel Arnucci & Diego Maradona
Maradona’s own account of the World Cup campaign of 1986. Argentina won the competition in Mexico, despite only having one really good player. But he really was very good indeed. In the quarterfinal he famously put two past England, one with his hand and the other—the goal of the century—with his jaw-dropping brilliance. Chris Waddle, who was sitting on the England substitute’s bench and Gary Lineker, who was on the pitch, have both said that, when Maradona scored his wonder-goal, they desperately wanted to cheer.
Once Upon a Time in Naples
by John Ludden
Many of the greatest players—Ronaldo, Messi, Zidane, di Stefano, Cruyff, Ronaldinho—end up at Barcelona or Real Madrid for the crowning moments of their club careers. Maradona had to leave Barcelona under a cloud. He moved to lowly Napoli and turned them into Italian and Uefa Cup champions. No one else could have done it. This book charts his story there—the football, the deification, the drugs and the mafia. The prequel to this story is The Journey: Maradona, the Generals and the Road to Naples.
The Beckham Experiment
by Grant Wahl
This book tells the story of David Beckham’s carefully planned assault on Soccer in America, how he went to play for LA Galaxy with the intention—now well under way—of building his own club franchise in the country and building the sport’s popularity in the United States. The famous footballer as global business executive, with a carefully curated image, a huge staff and a well thought out, long-term strategy. A million miles away from Maradona’s chaotic rollercoaster of a life. It’s all very sensible and helps to remind us why Maradona was in a league of his own and will be sorely missed for all sorts of reasons.
Foul!
by Andrew Jennings
Maradona was caught up in a very murky world in Naples. But Football is a very murky world. This book tells the story of the grubby corruption at the heart of football’s ruling body, Fifa. At least Maradona, unlike some of his peers, never had anything to do with that.
All Played Out
by Pete Davies
Not exactly about Maradona, but the story of one journalist given complete access to the England Squad’s camp during the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Brilliantly written and captures the excitement and madness of the tournament. Paul Gascoigne is on the cover, crying when England lost the semi-final to West Germany. The Germans went on to meet Maradona and Argentina in the final. It was Maradona’s turn to indulge in some very public blubbing on the pitch
