KANSAS CITY, Missouri — The spirit of Diego Maradona is everywhere as Argentina’s players, coaches, and fans gear up for their second World Cup Group J showdown against Austria in Dallas on Monday.
The timing carries deep significance. Monday falls exactly 40 years after one of the most talked-about performances in soccer history — Maradona’s two-goal display in Argentina’s 2-1 victory over England during the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium.
On June 22, 1986, Maradona scored both the notorious “Hand of God” goal and the breathtaking “Goal of the Century,” weaving past defender after defender on the English side. In Argentina, that date is officially honored as the Day of the Argentine Footballer.
Even more than five years after his passing, Maradona remains a towering presence among Argentine supporters — the only figure who comes close to rivaling Lionel Messi in terms of devotion and reverence.
When fans gathered last week in Kansas City, which has served as Argentina’s home base during the tournament, massive flags referencing Maradona were on full display throughout the crowd. One banner placed him alongside Messi with just a single word: “simbiosis” — Spanish for symbiosis.
As the team traveled south to Texas, supporters continued the tribute, chanting that “Maradona is greater than Pele” — a pointed jab aimed at their longtime Brazilian rivals.
At a pre-match press conference, Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni shared a personal memory of watching that historic 1986 match as a child.
“I think I was at home, at my grandmother’s house, because we all lived there. There were I don’t know how many of us living there, we didn’t have our own home. It was a very small TV,” Scaloni recalled. He was eight years old at the time.
“Emotional. I didn’t know tomorrow was the anniversary of that great goal, so let’s enjoy it. We will see it everywhere tomorrow. We’ll cry a little too,” Scaloni told reporters on Sunday.
Monday’s opponents, Austria, also hold a notable place in Maradona’s story. He delivered his only international hat-trick against them in a 5-1 Argentine victory back in 1980, and the two nations met again in 1990 — both times with Argentina holding the title of reigning world champions.
Maradona passed away on November 25, 2020, at the age of 60, following a heart attack while he was recovering from brain surgery to remove a blood clot.
