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137-392: Argentine professional footballer Eponyms and public art Films Media Family Related Diego Armando Maradona Franco ( Spanish: [ˈdjeɣo maɾaˈðona] ; 30 October 1960 – 25 November 2020) was an Argentine professional football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he

274-577: A 2009 article for CBC Sports , John Molinaro described the goal as "the greatest ever scored in the tournament – and, maybe, in soccer." In a 2018 article for Sportsnet , he added: "No other player, not even Pel[é] in 1958 nor Paolo Rossi in 1982, had dominated a single competition the way Maradona did in Mexico." He also went on to say of Maradona's performance: "The brilliant Argentine artist single-handedly delivered his country its second World Cup." Regarding his two memorable goals against England in

411-481: A Bilbao shirt. The mass brawl was played out in front of the Spanish King Juan Carlos and an audience of 100,000 fans inside the stadium, and more than half of Spain watching on television. After fans began throwing solid objects on the field at the players, coaches and even photographers, sixty people were injured, with the incident effectively sealing Maradona's transfer out of the club in what

548-673: A C2 category regarding proficiency in the English language, there's a large number of people who are at least able to hold a conversation and make themselves understood. Religion in Argentina (2022) A majority of the population of Argentina is Christian . According to CONICET survey on creeds, about 76.5% of Argentines are Roman Catholic , 11.3% religiously indifferent, 9% Protestant (with 7.9% in Pentecostal denominations), 1.2% Jehovah's Witnesses , and 0.9% Mormons . Argentina

685-621: A brace in a victory against his Chacarita Juniors. In 1979, Maradona scored 26 goals in 26 games, and finished top scorer in both Metropolian and Nacional tournamets. in 1980, he scored 43 goals in 45 appearances and was the top scorer again for the last four consecutive tournaments. Maradona spent five years at Argentinos Juniors , from 1976 to 1981, scoring 115 goals in 167 appearances before his US$ 4 million transfer to Boca Juniors in February 1981. Maradona received offers to join other clubs, including River Plate who offered to make him

822-455: A citizen or resident of Argentina. Asian Argentines settled in Argentina in large numbers during several waves of immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 19th century, West Asian immigrants, primarily from Lebanon and Syria came as a result of the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war . In the early 20th century, a small wave of East Asian immigrants, particularly from Japan came to the country. The first Argentines of East Asian descent were

959-684: A dialect called Patagonian Welsh , which has developed since the start of the Welsh settlement in Argentina in 1865. A high percentage of Argentines are proficient in the English language since its teaching is included in educational establishments as early as kindergarten. According to the 2023 edition of the English Proficiency Index, Argentines have the highest level of English proficiency in Latin America , ranking 28th worldwide. While of course not everybody falls under

1096-405: A further 20% state they do not know whether or not they have any black ancestors. Genetic studies carried out in 2005 showed that the average level of African genetic contribution in the population of Buenos Aires is 2.2%, but that this component is concentrated in 10% of the population who display notably higher levels of African ancestry. Today there is still a notable Afro-Argentine community in

1233-461: A goal after dribbling past Alberto Tarantini and Fillol. Despite the distrustful relationship between Maradona and Boca Juniors manager, Silvio Marzolini , Boca had a successful season, winning the league title after securing a point against Racing Club . That would be the only title won by Maradona in the Argentine domestic league. "He had complete mastery of the ball. When Maradona ran with

1370-638: A large European contribution of 78.5%, against 17.3% of Amerindian and 4.2% Black African contributions. Several studies found out that the European ancestry in Argentina comes mainly from the Iberian Peninsula and Italy with a much lower contribution from Central and Northern Europe . The Italian component appears strongest in the East and Center-West, while the Spanish influence dominates in

1507-474: A low profile, and is accepted by greater Argentine society. Primarily living in their own neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires, many currently own their own businesses of varying sizes – largely textiles, grocery stores, and buffet-style restaurants. Arabs and Argentines with partial Arab ancestry represent about 3.2 million people, whose ancestry traces back to any of various waves of immigrants, largely from

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1644-505: A majority in the country since 1914. Some international sources claim the European component of the population to be at around 97%. The most numerous immigrant European communities are: Spaniards (including Basques , Asturians and Galicians ), Italians (62.5% of the population have some degree of Italian descent), Germans , Scandinavians (mainly Danes and Swedes ), Slavs (including Russians , Ukrainians , Poles , Czechs , Bulgarians , Slovenes , Serbs and Croats ), Finns ,

1781-416: A peak due to a variety of issues, notably the economic differences between the two. Led by Maradona, Napoli won their first ever Serie A Championship in 1986–87 . Regarding the celebrations, Goldblatt wrote, "The celebrations were tumultuous. A rolling series of impromptu street parties and festivities broke out contagiously across the city in a round-the-clock carnival which ran for over a week. The world

1918-696: A perfect relief for the inhabitants of the hotter interior. Fall is often rainy, and winters can be windy and chilly: temperatures average from 10 to 15 °C (50 to 59 °F), and nights from 1 to 5 °C (34 to 41 °F). There can be long periods of drizzly weather and constant temperatures of about 7 °C (45 °F). Frost is common but temperatures will rarely fall below −5 °C (23 °F), and snowfalls sometimes, but accumulations are only to be expected every few years. Precipitation ranges from 700 to 950 mm (28 to 37 in). The Sierras de la Ventana (up to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft)) experience cooler weather, especially at night. The geography of

2055-528: A poll on Il Mattino , 54% of fans voted to keep the shirt retired, and the change ultimate did not occur. On 4 December 2020, nine days after Maradona's death, Napoli's home stadium was renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. After serving a 15-month ban for failing a drug test for cocaine, Maradona left Napoli in disgrace in 1992. Despite interest from Real Madrid and Marseille , he signed for Sevilla , where he stayed for one year. In 1993, he played for Newell's Old Boys and in 1995 returned to Boca Juniors for

2192-647: A reckless tackle by Athletic Bilbao's Andoni Goikoetxea —nicknamed "the Butcher of Bilbao"—threatened to jeopardize Maradona's career, but with treatment and rehabilitation, it was possible for him to return to the pitch after a three-month recovery period. Maradona was directly involved in a violent fight during the 1984 Copa del Rey Final in Madrid against Athletic Bilbao. After receiving another hard tackle by Goikoetxea, as well as being taunted with racist insults related to his father's Native American ancestry throughout

2329-593: A scandal there regarding an illegitimate son , and he was also the object of some suspicion over an alleged friendship with the Camorra crime syndicate. He also faced intense backlash and harassment from some local fans after the 1990 World Cup, in which he and Argentina beat Italy in a semi-final match at the San Paolo stadium. In 2000, the number 10 jersey of Napoli was officially retired , but in 2011, Maradona stated that he wanted Ezequiel Lavezzi to use it. In

2466-400: A significantly higher estimate of European ancestry at 78.5% of the average Argentine's autosomal DNA. Argentina has 35 officially recognized indigenous people groups. As of the 2010 census [ INDEC ] , some 955,032 Argentines (2.38% of the country's population) self-identify as indigenous or first-generation descendants of indigenous peoples. The most populous indigenous groups were

2603-563: A small group of Japanese immigrants, mainly from the Okinawa prefecture , which came in the period between the early and mid 20th century. In the 1960s, Koreans began to arrive, and in the 1980s, Taiwanese immigrants. The 1990s brought the largest wave of Asian immigration so far to Argentina, from mainland Chinese immigrants, eventually becoming the fourth largest immigrant community in 2013, after Paraguayans, Bolivians, and Peruvians. The small East Asian Argentine population has generally kept

2740-505: A talent scout while he was playing in his local club Estrella Roja. In March 1969 he was recommended to Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors by his close friend and football rival Gregorio Carrizo who had already been picked by coach Francis Gregorio Cornejo. Maradona became a star for the Cebollitas, and as a 12-year-old ball boy he amused spectators by showing his ball skills during

2877-650: A team that also included such players as Mario Kempes , Osvaldo Ardiles , Ramón Díaz , Daniel Bertoni , Alberto Tarantini , Ubaldo Fillol and Daniel Passarella , the Argentine side was defeated in the second round by Brazil and by eventual winners Italy . The Italian match is renowned for Maradona being aggressively man-marked by Claudio Gentile , as Italy beat Argentina at the Sarrià Stadium in Barcelona, 2–1. Maradona played in all five matches without being substituted, scoring twice against Hungary. He

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3014-478: A troubled off-field life and his time with Napoli ended after he was banned for taking cocaine. In his international career with Argentina , he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups , including the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where he captained Argentina and led them to victory over West Germany in the final, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. In

3151-556: A two-year stint. Maradona also appeared for Tottenham Hotspur in a testimonial match for Osvaldo Ardiles against Internazionale, shortly before the 1986 World Cup . In 1996, he played in a friendly match alongside his brother Raul for Toronto Italia against the Canadian National Soccer League All-Stars. In 2000, he captained Bayern Munich in a friendly against the German national team in

3288-469: A while, but accumulations are usually small. Total precipitation ranges from 500 to 750 mm (20 to 30 in), with slightly rainier springs and falls. The Atlantic region sees very moderate weather: the ocean is cold (17 to 20 °C (63 to 68 °F) in the summer) and sea breezes often bring chilly weather until midsummer. The hottest months average 25 to 27 °C (77 to 81 °F) with nights between 12 and 16 °C (54 and 61 °F), providing

3425-544: Is a melting pot of different peoples. In the mid-19th century a large wave of immigration started to arrive in Argentina due to new Constitutional policies that encouraged immigration, and issues in the countries the immigrants came from, such as wars, poverty, hunger, and famines. The main immigration sources were from Europe, the countries from the Near and the Middle East, Russia, and Japan. Eventually, Argentina became

3562-441: Is a multiethnic society, home to people of various ethnic , racial , religious , denomination , and national origins, with the majority of the population made up of Old World immigrants and their descendants. As a result, Argentines do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and allegiance to Argentina. Aside from the indigenous population, nearly all Argentines or their ancestors immigrated within

3699-487: Is diversified, and though cattle historically provided the main animal husbandry activity, Buenos Aires is also the top producer of sheep , pork , and chicken meat of the country. Equally important is the dairy industry. Crop harvests are the most diverse in the nation and have grown to record levels in recent decades. The most important crops include soybean , maize , wheat , sunflower and other oilseeds , like flax . More recently, premium wines have been produced in

3836-582: Is estimated that more than 20 million Argentines, more than 46% of the total population, have Italian ancestry, wholly or in part. Argentines descend mostly from Spaniards, Italians, Native Americans and to a lesser extent from French, Germans, Arabs, Slavs, Irish, Sub-Saharan Africans, East Asians, and others. Immigration of recent decades includes mainly Paraguayans , Bolivians , Peruvians , and Brazilians , among other Latin Americans , Eastern Europeans, Africans, Arabs, and Asians. Genetic ancestry of

3973-1133: Is extremely benign for human activities: it is temperate, with four marked seasons and reliable rainfall on most regions. The province can be divided into four main climatic regions: the southwestern, drier region; the cool Atlantic region; the northern and eastern humid region, and the Delta region, with the warmest, wettest climate. The northern region has warm, humid summers, with days between 28 and 32 °C (82 and 90 °F) and nights between 16 and 20 °C (61 and 68 °F), pleasant falls, cool, drier winters with highs between 13 and 18 °C (55 and 64 °F) and nights between 2 and 5 °C (36 and 41 °F), and windy, variable springs. Heat waves may bring days with temperatures over 38 °C (100 °F), but these do not usually last very long, as cold fronts bring thunderstorms and cooler days, with night temperatures often falling down to 12 °C (54 °F). Winter cold waves may bring days with highs about 8 °C (46 °F), and lows below −4 °C (25 °F), with extremes down to −8 °C (18 °F). Snow

4110-556: Is home to the largest Jewish population in Latin America and 6th in the world, numbering 182,300 individuals or 0.45% of the population. On a city level, Buenos Aires has the second largest population of Jews in the Americas, second only to New York City. Argentina is also home to the largest Muslim minority in Latin America (see Islam in Argentina ). Although accurate statistics on religion are not available (because

4247-454: Is slightly bigger than Italy . The landscape is mainly flat, with two low mountain ranges: Sierra de la Ventana (near Bahía Blanca ) and Sierra de Tandil ( Tandil ). The highest point is Cerro Tres Picos (1,239 m (4,065 ft) amsl ; 38°8′S 61°58′W  /  38.133°S 61.967°W  / -38.133; -61.967 ) and the longest river is Río Salado (700 km (435 mi) long). As part of The Pampas ,

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4384-441: Is still to be expected, but temperatures will almost never fall below −4 °C (25 °F), and snow has fallen only twice in the last century. Precipitation ranges from 1,000 to 1,300 mm (39 to 51 in) and falls throughout the year. The city of Buenos Aires is surrounded by a climate similar to the northern part of the province, but the city itself resembles more the Delta climate, with less frost. The southwestern region

4521-762: Is the driest region, and it experiences a more marked differences in temperatures. Summers are often hot, between 30 and 35 °C (86 and 95 °F), but nights are usually comfortable (14 to 18 °C (57 to 64 °F)). Thunderstorms are less frequent but can be very violent in nature. Frost can make an appearance as early as March, but usually first comes in April. Winters are cool and dry, with days between 10 and 16 °C (50 and 61 °F) and nights between −1 and 4 °C (30 and 39 °F). Frost occurs on an almost daily basis, with temperatures below −6 °C (21 °F) not uncommon, and down to −12 °C (10 °F) recorded in some areas. Snowfall may occur every once in

4658-431: Is the nation's chief exporter, generating nearly $ 107 billion in exports in 2016 (37% of the nation's total). Agriculture in the province is renowned around the world for its productivity. The province is Argentina's chief agricultural producer , and accounted for at least $ 8 billion in export earnings in 2014. This sector adds about 5% to the province's highly diversified economy, however. The province's ranching sector

4795-411: Is uncommon, but there have been accumulations on several occasions in the past. Precipitation ranges from 750 to 1,100 mm (30 to 43 in) per year. The Delta region is slightly warmer, especially at night, due to the presence of water and the northerly location. Summer nights tend to be stickier, and winters can be damp and foggy, with most nights between 4 and 8 °C (39 and 46 °F). Frost

4932-465: The Los Angeles Times called it "one of the greatest individual performances in tournament history," with Steven Goff of The Washington Post dubbing his performance as "one of the finest in tournament annals." In 2002, Russell Thomas of The Guardian described Maradona's second goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals as "arguably the greatest individual goal ever." In

5069-673: The 1978 FIFA World Cup and the 1995 Pan American Games , and annually holds the National Evita Games and the final stage of the Bonaerense Games, the last being the most important provincial sports event for young, the elderly and people with disabilities. The province is represented in the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) by four unions: the Rugby Union of Buenos Aires (URBA), includes teams of

5206-549: The 1982–83 season , under coach César Luis Menotti , Barcelona and Maradona won two trophies, the Copa del Rey and Copa de la Liga , both of them coming against Real Madrid. On 26 June 1983, in the 1st leg of the Copa de la Liga finals at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Maradona scored and became the first Barcelona player to be applauded by arch-rival Real Madrid fans. Maradona dribbled past Madrid goalkeeper Agustín , and as he approached

5343-581: The 1986 World Cup in Mexico, winning the final in Mexico City against West Germany . Throughout the tournament, Maradona asserted his dominance and was the most dynamic player of the competition. He played every minute of every Argentina game, scoring five goals and making five assists; three of the assists came in the opening match against South Korea at the Olímpico Universitario Stadium in Mexico City . His first goal of

5480-483: The 1986 World Cup quarter final , he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England that entered football history for two different reasons. The first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the " Hand of God ", while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England players, voted " Goal of the Century " by FIFA.com voters in 2002. Maradona also had a career in management. He became

5617-575: The Aonikenk , Kolla , Qom , Wichí , Diaguita , Mocoví , Huarpe peoples , Mapuche and Guarani Many Argentines also identify as having at least one indigenous ancestor; a genetic study conducted by the University of Buenos Aires in 2011 showed that 56% of the 320 Argentines sampled were shown to have at least one indigenous ancestor in one parental lineage and around 11% had indigenous ancestors in both parental lineages. Jujuy Province , in

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5754-749: The Argentina Wine Route . In Buenos Aires Province, as throughout Argentina, football is the predominant sport. The province has numerous professional football teams, with most of them concentrated in the Greater Buenos Aires area. Rivals Club Atlético Independiente and Racing Club de Avellaneda are the most successful, famous and followed beyond the province borders. Other notable teams in Greater Buenos Aires include Arsenal , Quilmes , Banfield , Lanús , Chacarita Juniors , Tigre and Defensa y Justicia . In

5891-548: The Argentine Northwest , is home to the highest percentage of households (15%) with at least one indigenous resident or a direct descendant of an indigenous person; Chubut and Neuquén Provinces , in Patagonia , have upwards of 12%. According to the Argentine national census of 2010, 149,493 (0.37% of the country's overall population) identified as Afro-Argentine , although according to gene pools studies,

6028-517: The Buenos Aires districts of San Telmo and La Boca . There are also quite a few African-descended Argentines in Merlo and Ciudad Evita , in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. Immigration from Cape Verde was one of the earliest African migratory flows in the post-colonial era, beginning as early as the late 19th century and well into the 20th century. Today, Cape Verdeans constitute one of

6165-465: The Buenos Aires wine region in the south of the province. Manufacturing accounts for a fourth of the province's output and is about 40% of the entire nation's. The industry of the province is diverse: chemical, pharmaceutical, metallurgic, motor vehicles, machinery, textiles and the food industry are the most notable. Excluding processed agricultural items, the province was responsible for over US$ 70 billion of industrial exports in 2016 and accounted for

6302-676: The French (including francophone Basques ), the Irish , Portuguese , the Dutch , among others in smaller number. There are approximately 300,000 Romani descendants in Argentina. They belong to the Romani subgroups Greek, Moldavian and Russian Kalderash , some Lovari and some Chilean Xoraxane. There are also Spanish Kalé and Boyash living in Argentina. Within the population totals, there may be an imprecise amount of mixed population. In one of

6439-496: The Greater Buenos Aires region, which today includes around 10 million people ( 2 ⁄ 3 of the provincial population). It did not address worsening pollution resulting from the area's industrial growth, which had made itself evident since around 1920. This problem has been at its worst along the Reconquista River west and north of the city of Buenos Aires; over 4 million people (one in 10 Argentines) today live on

6576-578: The International Organization for Migration there have been about 806,369 since 2001. The first wave of emigration occurred during the military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983, principally to Spain, the United States, Mexico and Venezuela. During the 1990s, due to the abolition of visas between Argentina and the United States, thousands of Argentines emigrated to North America. The last major wave of emigration occurred during

6713-631: The Levantine region of Western Asia, from what is now Syria and Lebanon ; and from Cilicia and Palestine in a lesser extent. Due to the fact that many Arab countries were under control of the Ottoman Empire by the time the large immigration wave took place, most Arabs entered the country with Turkish passports, and so they are colloquially referred to as los turcos . There are also 80,000 to 135,000 descendants of Armenians in Argentina, most of them in Buenos Aires , representing one of

6850-512: The Radical Civic Union , was elected governor in 1983, when Raúl Alfonsín became president. Alfonsín lost the 1987 midterm elections , leading to the victory of Antonio Cafiero . From then to 2015, all governors have been Peronists. The high population of the province makes it highly influential in Argentine politics. With both ruling for two terms, the rivalry of the president Carlos Menem and governor Eduardo Duhalde dominated

6987-706: The Salado River became the limit between both civilizations, despite frequent malones (aboriginal attacks on border settlements). The end to this situation came in 1879 with the Conquest of the Desert ( Conquista del Desierto ) in which the aboriginals were almost completely exterminated. After the independence from Spain in 1816, the city and province of Buenos Aires became the focus of an intermittent Argentine Civil War with other provinces. A Federal Pact secured by Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas in 1831 led to

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7124-592: The Santiago Bernabéu . Three days later, Barcelona won the second leg 2–1, with Maradona scoring a penalty and helping his club win another title against their archrivals . Due to illness and injury as well as controversial incidents on the field, Maradona had a difficult tenure in Barcelona. First a bout of hepatitis , then a broken ankle in a La Liga game at the Camp Nou in September 1983 caused by

7261-619: The State of Buenos Aires . Concessions gained in 1859 Pact of San José de Flores and a victory at the Battle of Pavón led to its reincorporation into the Argentine Republic on 17 December 1861. Intermittent conflicts with the nation did not truly cease until 1880, when the city of Buenos Aires was formally federalized and, thus, administratively separated from the province. La Plata was founded in 1882 by Governor Dardo Rocha for

7398-610: The United Kingdom and Germany . The most popular immigration destinations in the Americas are: the United States and Brazil , and to a lesser degree, mostly to ( Uruguay and Canada ): Chile , Paraguay and Bolivia , while other communities settled in Venezuela , Peru , Colombia , Ecuador and Costa Rica . Israel is home to the largest Argentine diaspora in the Middle East. In Oceania, Australia has

7535-579: The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata at the end of the 18th century, the export of meat, leather and their derivatives through the port of Buenos Aires was the basis of the economic development of the region. Jesuits unsuccessfully tried to peacefully assimilate the aboriginals into the European culture brought by the Spanish conquistadores. A certain balance was found at the end of the 18th century when

7672-806: The legislative (represented by the Legislature , which is split into the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate ); and the judiciary , headed by the Supreme Court. The Constitution of Buenos Aires Province forms the formal law of the province. In Argentina, the most important law enforcement organization is the Argentine Federal Police , but the province is policed by its own Buenos Aires Provincial Police . Buenos Aires Province, at 307,571 square kilometres (118,754 sq mi),

7809-441: The world record transfer fee twice: in 1982 when he transferred to Barcelona for £5 million, and in 1984 when he moved to Napoli for a fee of £6.9 million. He played for Argentinos Juniors , Boca Juniors , Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli where he won numerous accolades and led the club to Serie A title wins twice. Maradona also had

7946-605: The " Hand of God ". Ultimately, on 22 August 2005, Maradona acknowledged on his television show that he had hit the ball with his hand purposely, and no contact with his head was made, and that he immediately knew the goal was illegitimate. This became known as an international fiasco in World Cup history. The goal stood, much to the wrath of the English players. "Maradona, turns like a little eel and comes away from trouble, little squat man... comes inside Butcher and leaves him for dead, outside Fenwick and leaves him for dead, and puts

8083-487: The 1986 World Cup as a 14-year-old, stated Maradona "was on another level". In a tribute to him, Azteca Stadium authorities built a statue of him scoring the "Goal of the Century" and placed it at the entrance of the stadium. Regarding Maradona's performance at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, in 2014, Roger Bennett of ESPN FC described it as "the most virtuoso performance a World Cup has ever witnessed," while Kevin Baxter of

8220-542: The 2001 crisis, mainly to Europe, especially Spain, although there was also an increase in emigration to neighboring countries, particularly Brazil, Chile and Paraguay. The rate of Argentine emigration to Europe (especially to Spain and Italy ) peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s and is noteworthy. Spain and Italy have the largest Argentine communities in Europe, however, there are also important communities in France ,

8357-474: The Argentine politics during the nineties. A similar case took place with the president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and governor Daniel Scioli . María Eugenia Vidal , from Republican Proposal , won the 2015 elections, and became the first female governor of the province. In February 2021, researchers led by paleontologist Nicolás Chimento of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales announced

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8494-503: The Argentine population with some degree of Sub-Saharan African descent would be around 7.5%. World Bank and Argentine government estimates have suggested the Argentine population with at least some African ancestry could number over 2 million, or between 4% and 6% of the population. Despite the fact that in the 1960s it was calculated that Argentina owed two thirds of the volume of its population to European immigration, over 5% of Argentines state they have at least one black ancestor, and

8631-1044: The Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA), the Rugby Union of Mar del Plata, the Western Rugby Union of the Province of Buenos Aires (UROBA) and the Southern Rugby Union. Some of the most prominent clubs are CASI and SIC of San Isidro. Among others, some of the most important basketball teams in the province are: Peñarol de Mar del Plata , Quilmes de Mar del Plata , Bahía Basket , Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca , Olimpo de Bahía Blanca , Argentino de Junín , Club Ciclista Juninense , and Estudiantes de Olavarría , Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata , Club Atlético Platense and Lanús. There are numerous racetracks, including La Plata, Nueve de Julio, Olavarría, Mar de Ajó, Junín, Balcarce, San Nicolás de los Arroyos and Bahía Blanca. The San Isidro Racecourse

8768-586: The French newspaper L'Équipe describing Maradona as "half-angel, half-devil". This match was played with the background of the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Replays showed that the first goal was scored by striking the ball with his hand. Maradona was coyly evasive, describing it as "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God". It became known as

8905-585: The North East and North West. Argentines of total or partial European descent constitute the majority of Argentina's population. Ethnic Europeans include the Argentine descendants of colonists from Spain during the colonial period prior to 1810, and mainly of immigrants from Europe in the great immigratory wave from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century. No recent Argentine census has included comprehensive questions on ethnicity, although numerous studies have determined that European Argentines have been

9042-462: The Reconquista's basin. Of these, about a million still live with seriously compromised water quality, despite the province's (sometimes counterproductive) efforts to remedy the issue. In April 2013 , the northeastern section of Buenos Aires Province, particularly its capital, La Plata, experienced several flash floods that claimed the lives of at least 89 people. Alejandro Armendáriz , of

9179-488: The area these new suburbs were developed on (particularly the poorer ones) consisted of wetlands and were prone to flooding. To address this, Governor Oscar Alende initiated the province's most important flood-control project to date, the Roggero Reservoir. Completed a decade later, in 1971, the reservoir and associated electric and water-treatment facilities encouraged still more, and more orderly, development of

9316-484: The assist for the winning goal in the final, ensuring that he would be remembered as one of the greatest names in football history. By the end of the World Cup, Maradona went on to win the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament by unanimous vote and was widely regarded to have won the World Cup virtually single-handedly, something that he later stated he did not entirely agree with. Zinedine Zidane , watching

9453-481: The average Argentine gene pool according to Caputo et al. (2021) using X-DIPs (matrilineal). The average is Castizo (with Spanish and Italian ancestry): Large comprehensive studies across Argentina's many regions in order to characterize the genetic admixture have been lacking. Small sample size studies give the following composition. A team led by Daniel Corach conducted a study in 2010, analyzing 246 samples from eight provinces and three different regions of

9590-423: The ball away... and that is why Maradona is the greatest player in the world." —Bryon Butler's BBC Radio commentary on Maradona's second goal against England. Maradona's second goal, just four minutes after the hotly disputed hand-goal, was later voted by FIFA as the greatest goal in the history of the World Cup. He received the ball in his own half, swivelled around and with 11 touches ran more than half

9727-463: The ball or dribbled through the defence, he seemed to have the ball tied to his boots. I remember our early training sessions with him: the rest of the team were so amazed that they just stood and watched him. We all thought ourselves privileged to be witnesses of his genius." —Barcelona teammate Lobo Carrasco After the 1982 World Cup , Maradona was transferred to Barcelona for a then world record fee of £5 million ($ 7.6 million). In

9864-523: The capital of the province, Estudiantes and Gimnasia y Esgrima stand out. Other clubs in the rest of the province include Olimpo and Villa Mitre ( Bahía Blanca ), Huracán de Tres Arroyos ( Tres Arroyos ), Aldosivi and Alvarado ( Mar del Plata ), Sarmiento ( Junín ), Douglas Haig ( Pergamino ), Agropecuario ( Carlos Casares ), Santamarina ( Tandil ), Racing de Olavarría ( Olavarría ), Flandria , Club Luján and Villa Dálmine ( Campana ). The city of Mar del Plata hosted six matches of

10001-462: The club's best paid player. However, River decided to drop its bid due to its large payroll in keeping Daniel Passarella and Ubaldo Fillol . Maradona signed a contract with Boca Juniors on 20 February 1981. He made his debut two days later against Talleres de Córdoba , scoring twice in the club's 4–1 win. On 10 April, Maradona played his first Superclásico against River Plate at La Bombonera stadium. Boca defeated River 3–0 with Maradona scoring

10138-650: The coach of Argentina's national football team in November 2008. He was in charge of the team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa before leaving at the end of the tournament. He then coached Dubai -based club Al Wasl in the UAE Pro-League for the 2011–12 season. In 2017, Maradona became the coach of Fujairah before leaving at the end of the season. From May to September 2018, he was the chairman of Dynamo Brest. From September 2018 to June 2019, Maradona

10275-546: The coast of the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Almost the entire province is part of the Pampas geographical region, with the extreme south often considered part of the Patagonia region. The province has a population of about 17.5 million people, which is 38% of Argentina's total population. The province covers an area of 307,571 km (118,754 sq mi), which is about 11% of Argentina's total area and makes it

10412-647: The coastline, which starts some 250 kilometres (160 mi) from Buenos Aires after the Samborombón Bay . Among them, the biggest and most important is Mar del Plata , followed by the La Costa Partido , Pinamar , Villa Gesell , Miramar , and Necochea . The most important summer-related event, the National Sea Festival , is held annually in the city of Mar del Plata. The city's Central Casino and Grand Provincial Hotel are among

10549-615: The country with the second-largest number of immigrants in the period, with 6.6 million, second only to the United States with 27 million. Therefore, most Argentines are of full or partial European descent (with a significant indigenous component, and a less prominent black component), and are either descendants of colonial-era settlers and/or of the 19th and 20th century immigrants from Europe . The most common ethnic groups are Caucasians (mostly Spanish and Italian descent) and/or Mestizos (mixed European and Native American ancestry). According to Argentine government websites, it

10686-603: The country's largest province. The inhabitants of the province before the 16th-century advent of Spanish colonization were aboriginal peoples such as the Charrúas and the Querandíes . Their culture was lost over the next 350 years. They were subjected to Eurasian plagues from which few survived. The survivors joined other tribes or have been mostly absorbed by Argentina's European immigration. Pedro de Mendoza founded Santa María del Buen Ayre in 1536. Even though

10823-428: The country. The results were as follows: the analysis of Y-Chromosome DNA revealed a 94.1% of European contribution, and only 4.9% and 0.9% of Native American and Black African contribution, respectively. Mitochondrial DNA analysis again showed a great Amerindian contribution by maternal lineage, at 53.7%, with 44.3% of European contribution, and a 2% African contribution. The study of 24 autosomal markers also proved

10960-405: The discovery of a well-preserved fossilized skull of the giant ground sloth Megatherium near San Eduardo del Mar, Province of Buenos Aires. According to paleontologists , the fossil belonged to a juvenile and dated back approximately 3.58 million years. The provincial government is divided into three branches: the executive, headed by a popularly elected governor , who appoints the cabinet;

11097-520: The elimination. In the 1988–89 season, Napoli finished runner-up in the league and in the Coppa Italia, losing to Sampdoria in the final . However the team avenged these runner-up finishes with the UEFA Cup title, won over two legs in the final against Stuttgart . During the second leg of the quarterfinals against rivals Juventus, Maradona scored a penalty, and Napoli eventually qualified to

11234-440: The empty goal, he stopped just as Madrid defender Juan José came sliding in an attempt to block the shot. José ended up crashing into the post, before Maradona slotted the ball into the net. With the manner in which the goal was scored resulting in applause from opposition fans, only Ronaldinho (in November 2005) and Andrés Iniesta (in November 2015) have since been granted such an ovation as Barcelona players from Madrid fans at

11371-528: The establishment of the Argentine Confederation and to his gaining the sum of public power , which provided a tenuous unity. Ongoing disputes regarding the influence of Buenos Aires, between Federalists and Unitarians , and over the Port of Buenos Aires (the prime source of public revenue at the time) fueled periodic hostilities. The province was declared independent on 11 September 1852, as

11508-399: The face and kneed another player in the head, knocking him out cold. The Bilbao squad surrounded Maradona to exact some retribution, with Goikoetxea connecting with a high kick to his chest, before the rest of the Barcelona squad joined in to help Maradona. From this point, Barcelona and Bilbao players brawled on the field with Maradona in the centre of the action, kicking and punching anyone in

11645-404: The farewell game of Lothar Matthäus . Maradona was himself given a testimonial match on 10 November 2001, played between an all-star World XI and the Argentina national team, scoring two penalty kicks in a 6–3 win at La Bombonera. Maradona made his full international debut at age 16, against Hungary , on 27 February 1977, only four months after his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors. He

11782-416: The field had a great effect on his team's general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. In addition to his creative abilities, he possessed an eye for goal and was known to be a free kick specialist. A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname El Pibe de Oro ("The Golden Boy"), a name that stuck with him throughout his career. Maradona was the first player to set

11919-479: The final four matches, Maradona was the Serie A top scorer in the 1987–88 season with 15 goals, and was the all-time leading goalscorer for Napoli , with 115 goals, until his record was broken by Marek Hamšík in 2017. He was also the top scorer for that season's Coppa Italia, scoring six goals, despite being eliminated in the quarter-finals by Torino, with Maradona's two goals in the second leg not enough to prevent

12056-411: The first contact with the aboriginals was peaceful, it soon became hostile. The city was evacuated in 1541. Juan de Garay re-founded the settlement in 1580 as Santísima Trinidad y Puerto Santa María de Los Buenos Aires . Amidst ongoing conflict with the aboriginals, the cattle farms extended from Buenos Aires , whose port was always the center of the economy of the territory. Following the creation of

12193-621: The halftime breaks of Argentinos Juniors' first division games. During 1973 and 1974, Maradona led Cebollitas to two Evita Tournament wins and 141 undefeated games in a row, playing alongside players like Adrian Domenech and Claudio Rodríguez , in what is regarded as the best youth team in the history of Argentine football. Maradona named Brazilian playmaker Rivellino and Manchester United winger George Best among his inspirations growing up. On 20 October 1976, Maradona made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors , 10 days before his 16th birthday, versus Talleres de Córdoba . He entered to

12330-460: The impact of Maradona's performances in 1979, FIFA President Sepp Blatter stated, "Everyone has an opinion on Diego Armando Maradona, and that's been the case since his playing days. My most vivid recollection is of this incredibly gifted kid at the second FIFA U-20 World Cup in Japan in 1979. He left everyone open-mouthed every time he got on the ball." Maradona and his compatriot Lionel Messi are

12467-402: The key players of the campaign, scoring seven goals in ten matches, including a brace in the team's first group game against SPAL . The following season, the team's prolific attacking trio, formed by Maradona, Bruno Giordano , and Careca , was later dubbed the "Ma-Gi-Ca" ( magical ) front-line. Despite the team failing to defend their league title, losing out to AC Milan after a collapse in

12604-598: The languages (such as Vilela , Puelche , Tehuelche and Selknam ). There are also other communities of immigrants that speak their native languages, such as the Chinese language spoken by at least half of the over 60,000 Chinese immigrants (mostly in Buenos Aires ) and an Occitan-speaking community in Pigüé, Buenos Aires Province . Welsh is also spoken by over 35,000 people in the Chubut Province . This includes

12741-573: The largest Armenian diasporas in the world. Although Spanish is dominant, being the national language spoken by virtually all Argentines, at least 40 languages are spoken in Argentina. Languages spoken by at least 100,000 Argentines include Amerindian languages such as Southern Quechua , Guaraní and Mapudungun , and immigrant languages such as German , Italian, English, French or Levantine Arabic . Two native languages are extinct ( Abipón and Chané ), while some others are endangered , spoken by elderly people whose descendants do not speak

12878-570: The largest African immigrant communities, numbering over 15,000; they mainly live in port cities in Buenos Aires Province , such as Ensenada and Dock Sud . Immigration from Senegal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Angola and other African countries in recent decades has caused a surge in the country's black population as well. Argentines of Asian ancestry are defined as either born within Argentina , or born elsewhere and later to become

13015-464: The largest Argentine community, followed by New Zealand . Buenos Aires Province It is bordered by the provinces of Entre Ríos to the northeast, Santa Fe to the north, Córdoba to the northwest, La Pampa to the west, Río Negro to the south and west and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires to the northeast. Uruguay is just across the Rio de la Plata to the northeast, and both are on

13152-470: The length of the field, dribbling past five English outfield players ( Peter Beardsley , Steve Hodge , Peter Reid , Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick ) before he left goalkeeper Peter Shilton on his backside with a feint , and slotted the ball into the net. This goal was voted " Goal of the Century " in a 2002 online poll conducted by FIFA. A 2002 Channel 4 poll in the UK saw his performance ranked number 6 in

13289-488: The list of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments . Maradona followed this with two more goals in a semi-final match against Belgium at the Azteca, including another virtuoso dribbling display for the second goal. In the final match, West Germany attempted to contain him by double-marking him, but in the 84th minute he nevertheless found space past West German player Lothar Matthäus to give the final pass to Jorge Burruchaga for

13426-446: The match by Bilbao fans, and being provoked by Bilbao's Miguel Sola at full time after Barcelona lost 1–0, Maradona snapped. He aggressively got up, stood inches from Sola's face and the two exchanged words. This started a chain reaction of emotional reactions from both teams. Using expletives, Sola mimicked a gesture from the crowd towards Maradona by using a xenophobic term. Maradona then headbutted Sola, elbowed another Bilbao player in

13563-399: The most comprehensive genetic studies involving the population of Argentina, 441 Argentines from across the North East, North West, Southern, and Central provinces (especially the urban conglomeration of Buenos Aires) of the country, it was observed that the sample population comprised on average of 65% European, followed by 31% Amerindian, and finally 4% of African ancestry; however, this study

13700-646: The nation's largest. Other destinations include the Ventana Sierras , Tandil , Tigre , the Paraná Delta , Isla Martín García , Olavarria , the Chascomús and Gómez lagoons, Campos del Tuyú National Park , and La Plata . Agritourism in estancias (plantations) has become increasingly popular for foreigners visiting the province in recent years. The province's wine district , centered on Médanos , has also become prominent for visitors touring

13837-717: The national census does not solicit religious data), the actual size of Argentina 's Muslim community is estimated to be around 1% of the total population (400,000 to 500,000 members), according to the International Religious Freedom Report in 2015. Buenos Aires hosts the largest mosque in Latin America . Buenos Aires also features notable Greek , Armenian and Russian Orthodox churches, Presbyterian Korean and Anglican churches, as well as Buddhist temples, among other minority religions. According to official estimates there are 600,000 Argentines worldwide, and according to estimates by

13974-465: The national population), of which 12 million lived in Greater Buenos Aires and 3 million in the rest of the province. Around 33.8% of the inhabitants weren't born in the province, of whom 3,918,552 are migrants from other provinces and 758,640 were born abroad. Most of its inhabitants are descendants from colonial-era settlers and immigrants from Europe who arrived within the 19th and 20th centuries, mostly Italians and Spaniards. A number of suburbs in

14111-422: The newer partidos were created in the Greater Buenos Aires . There are 135 partidos, the last established by law is Lezama (2009). Buenos Aires Province is the most populated province of the country. The INDEC estimates that the population of Buenos Aires Province was 17,541,141 on 1 July 2020, a 12.26% increase since the 2010 national census. According to that census, there were 15 million inhabitants (38% of

14248-414: The next round after extra time. During the first leg of the finals, Maradona scored from a penalty in a 2–1 home victory and later assisted Careca's match-winning goal, while in the second leg on 17 May—a 3–3 away draw—he assisted Ciro Ferrara 's goal with a header. Napoli would win their second league title in 1989–90 , and later won the 1990 Italian Supercup , beating rivals Juventus 5–1. When asked who

14385-426: The only ones he scored. In the 1977 season, Maradona played 49 matches and scored 19 goals, and started to get on the radar ofother South American clubs. In the 1978 season, Maradona scored 26 goals in 35 matches, and had the 1978 World Cup in his sights. However, when the squads were released on 19 May, he was not selected by coach Cesar Luis Menotti to the surprise of many. Two days after being left out, he scored

14522-607: The only players to win the Golden Ball at both the FIFA U-20 World Cup and FIFA World Cup . Maradona did so in 1979 and 1986 , which Messi emulated in 2005 and 2014 (and again in 2022 ). Maradona appeared at the 1979 Copa América , where Argentina had a poor performance, being knocked out in the first round. Maradona exited the tournament having scored once in a 3-0 victory against Bolivia. Maradona played his first World Cup tournament in 1982 in his new country of residence, Spain. Argentina played Belgium in

14659-580: The opening game of the 1982 Cup at the Camp Nou in Barcelona . Maradona did not perform to expectations, as Argentina, the defending champions, lost 1–0. Although the team convincingly beat both Hungary and El Salvador in Alicante to progress to the second round, there were internal tensions within the team, with the younger, less experienced players at odds with the older, more experienced players. With

14796-410: The panoply of levees, power plants, water works, paved roads, municipal buildings, and (particularly during Perón's 1946-55 tenure) schools, clinics and massive regional hospitals. The province's population, after 1930, began to grow disproportionately quickly in the suburban areas of Buenos Aires. These suburbs had grown to include 4 million out of the province's total 7 million people in 1960. Much of

14933-435: The past five centuries. Among countries in the world that have received the most immigrants in modern history, Argentina, with 6.6 million, ranks second to the United States (27 million), and ahead of other immigrant destinations such as Canada, Brazil and Australia. Argentina is a multiethnic society , which means that it is home to people of many different ethnic, racial, religious, and denominational backgrounds. Argentina

15070-403: The people identified with the country of Argentina . This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being Argentine . In the past the demonym for citizens of Argentina was mistakenly translated as Argentinians , a term that is no longer considered accurate. Argentina

15207-494: The pitch wearing the number 16 jersey, and became the youngest player in the history of the Argentine Primera División . A few minutes into his debut, Maradona kicked the ball through the legs of Juan Domingo Cabrera , a nutmeg that would become symbolic of his talent. After the game, Maradona said: "That day I felt I had held the sky in my hands." Thirty years later, Cabrera remembered Maradona's debut: "I

15344-486: The province are also home to a large, predominantly mestizo population that began migrating from the country's northern provinces in the mid-20th century to take advantage of growing employment opportunities. These same communities are also home to considerable numbers of more recent migrants from Paraguay and Bolivia . Tourists, mainly from Buenos Aires, visit the Atlantic coast. There are many cities and towns along

15481-594: The province by 1914; many developed around the new railway stations. This era of accelerated development was cut short by the Wall Street Crash of 1929 , which caused a sharp drop in commodity prices (99% of Argentine exports were agricultural) and led to a halt in the flow of investment funds between nations. The new Concordance and Perón governments funded ambitious lending and public works programs, visible in Buenos Aires Province through

15618-482: The province is crossed by occasional west Pampero winds . The southern Sudestada produces storms and temperature drops, most notably the Santa Rosa storm, which takes place every year almost exactly on 30 August. Unlike the other provinces of the country, in the province of Buenos Aires, the territorial divisions are called partidos , instead of departments. These also constitute the municipal division of

15755-513: The province. The provincial Constitution does not recognize the municipal autonomy that was recognized for the whole country in the reform of the National Constitution of 1994. Each partido corresponds to a municipality and is governed by a mayor ( intendente ) elected by popular vote. The process of creating a partido is much more dynamic than in the other provinces, with a total of six more partidos in 2000 than in 1990. Most of

15892-468: The purpose of becoming the provincial capital. The equivalent of a billion (1880s) dollars of British investment and pro-development, education and immigration policies pursued at the national level subsequently spurred dramatic economic growth. Driven by European immigration and improved health, the province's population, like Argentina's, nearly doubled to one million by 1895 and doubled again by 1914. Rail lines connected nearly every town and hamlet in

16029-445: The quarter-finals, he commented: "Yes, it was Maradona's hand, and not God's, that was responsible for the first goal against England. But while the ' Hand of God ' goal remains one of the most contentious moments in World Cup history, there can be no disputing that his second goal against England ranks as the greatest ever scored in the tournament. It transcended mere sports – his goal was pure art." Argentines Argentines are

16166-550: The star of the tournament, shining in Argentina's 3–1 final win over the Soviet Union , scoring a total of six goals in six appearances in the tournament. On 2 June 1979, Maradona scored his first senior international goal in a 3–1 win against Scotland at Hampden Park . He went on to play for Argentina in two 1979 Copa América ties during August 1979, a 2–1 loss against Brazil and a 3–0 win over Bolivia in which he scored his side's third goal. Speaking thirty years later on

16303-632: The tournament came against Italy in the second group game in Puebla . Argentina eliminated Uruguay in the first knockout round in Puebla, setting up a match against England at the Azteca Stadium , also in Mexico City. After scoring two contrasting goals in the 2–1 quarter-final win against England, his legend was cemented. The majesty of his second goal and the notoriety of his first led to

16440-470: The truth, we decided to devote ourselves purely to him. Maradona's parents were both born and brought up in the town of Esquina in the north-east province of Corrientes on the banks of the Corriente River . In the 1950s, they left Esquina and settled in Buenos Aires. Maradona received his first football as a gift at age three and quickly became devoted to the game. At age eight, he was spotted by

16577-490: The weather of the province is strongly influenced by the ocean, with hot summers and temperate winters. Humidity is high and precipitation is abundant and distributed over the year. The Western and Southwestern regions are drier and are part of the Semi-arid Pampas ecoregion. The southernmost part of the province is often included in definitions of the Patagonia region. The climate of the province of Buenos Aires

16714-473: The winning goal. Argentina beat West Germany 3–2 in front of 115,000 fans at the Azteca with Maradona lifting the World Cup as captain. During the tournament, Maradona attempted or created more than half of Argentina's shots, attempted a tournament-best 90 dribbles—three times more than any other player—and was fouled a record 53 times, winning his team twice as many free kicks as any player. Maradona scored or assisted ten of Argentina's 14 goals (71%), including

16851-546: Was coach of Mexican club Dorados , and was the coach of Argentine Primera División club Gimnasia de La Plata from September 2019 until his death in 2020. He was ranked as the third best all time football player by FourFourTwo . Diego Armando Maradona was born on 30 October 1960, at the Policlínico (Polyclinic) Evita Hospital in Lanús , Buenos Aires Province , to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province ; he

16988-470: Was dominated by teams from the north and centre of the country, such as AC Milan , Juventus , Inter Milan and Roma , and no team in the south of the Italian Peninsula had ever won a league title. This was perhaps the perfect scenario for Maradona and his working-class-sympathetic image, as he joined a once-great team that was facing relegation at the end of the 1983–84 Serie A season, in what

17125-473: Was fouled repeatedly in all five games and particularly in the last one against Brazil at the Sarrià, a game that was blighted by poor officiating and violent fouls. With Argentina already down 3–0 to Brazil, Maradona's temper eventually got the better of him and he was sent off with five minutes remaining for a serious retaliatory foul against Batista . Maradona captained the Argentine national team to victory in

17262-729: Was his last game in a Barcelona shirt. One Barcelona executive stated: "When I saw those scenes of Maradona fighting and the chaos that followed I realized we couldn't go any further with him." Maradona got into frequent disputes with Barcelona executives, particularly club president Josep Lluís Núñez , culminating with a demand to be transferred out of the Camp Nou in 1984. During his two injury-hit seasons at Barcelona, Maradona scored 38 goals in 58 games. Maradona transferred to Napoli in Italy's Serie A for another world record fee, £6.9 million ($ 10.48 million). Maradona arrived in Naples and

17399-531: Was inaugurated in 1935 and hosts the Carlos Pellegrini Grand Prix. The Hipodromo de La Plata is the third largest in Argentina. The province's economy has long been the largest in Argentina, estimated in 2014 to have been US$ 407.6 billion (more than a third of the national total, which was around US$ 680.8 billion in 2016 according to Argentina's economical growing. It has a per capita income of $ 24,780 (around $ 27,300 in 2016). The province

17536-488: Was left off the Argentine squad for the 1978 World Cup on home soil by coach César Luis Menotti who felt he was too young at age 17. On 3 November 1978, just a few days after turning 18, Maradona played for the U20 Argentina team in a friendly match against Franz Beckenbauer 's New York Cosmos , scoring twice in a 2–1 win. At age 18, Maradona played the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship in Japan and emerged as

17673-425: Was of Italian and Croatian descent. When Diego came to Argentinos Juniors for trials, I was really struck by his talent and couldn't believe he was only eight years old. In fact, we asked him for his ID card so we could check it, but he told us he didn't have it on him. We were sure he was having us on because, although he had the physique of a child, he played like an adult. When we discovered he'd been telling us

17810-432: Was on the right side of the field and went to press him, but he didn't give me a chance. He made the nutmeg and when I turned around, he was far away from me." Maradona scored his first goal as a professional against Marplatense team San Lorenzo on 14 November 1976, two weeks after turning 16, and added another goal in the match as well. Maradona made 11 appearances that season, with the two goals scored on his debut being

17947-470: Was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award, alongside Pelé . An advanced playmaker who operated in the classic number 10 position , Maradona's vision, passing, ball control, and dribbling skills were combined with his small stature, which gave him a low centre of gravity and allowed him to manoeuvre better than most other players. His presence and leadership on

18084-528: Was presented to the world media as a Napoli player on 5 July 1984, where he was welcomed by 75,000 fans at his presentation at the Stadio San Paolo . Sports writer David Goldblatt commented, "They [the fans] were convinced that the saviour had arrived." A local newspaper stated that despite the lack of a "mayor, houses, schools, buses, employment and sanitation, none of this matters because we have Maradona". Prior to Maradona's arrival, Italian football

18221-542: Was raised in Villa Fiorito , a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires , Argentina. He was the first son after four daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo ( el Turco ) and Raúl (Lalo), both of whom were also professional football players. His father Diego Maradona "Chitoro" (1927–2015), who worked at a chemicals factory, was of Guaraní (Indigenous) and Galician ( Spanish ) descent, and his mother Dalma Salvadora Franco, "Doña Tota" (1930–2011),

18358-450: Was the toughest and most highly regarded football league in Europe. At Napoli, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career: he soon inherited the captain 's armband from Napoli veteran defender Giuseppe Bruscolotti and quickly became an adored star among the club's fans; in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history. Maradona played for Napoli at a period when north–south tensions in Italy were at

18495-416: Was the toughest player he ever faced, AC Milan central defender Franco Baresi stated it was Maradona, a view shared by his Milan teammate Paolo Maldini . Although Maradona was successful on the field during his time in Italy, his personal problems increased. His cocaine use continued, and he received US$ 70,000 in fines from his club for missing games and practices, ostensibly because of "stress". He faced

18632-455: Was turned upside down. The Neapolitans held mock funerals for Juventus and Milan, burning their coffins, their death notices announcing 'May 1987, the other Italy has been defeated. A new empire is born.'" Murals of Maradona were painted on the city's ancient buildings, and newborn children were named in his honour. Napoli completed a double that year, when they won the 1987 Coppa Italia final on aggregate against Atalanta. Maradona had been one of

18769-407: Was unweighted and meant to be a representation of the diversity of Argentine DNA rather than a demonstration of the average ethnic composition of the country. It was also found there were great differences in the ancestry amongst Argentines as one traveled across the country. A study by Daniel Corach that attempted to find the average Argentine ancestry by weighing the population of various regions gave

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