Diego Maradona, the famed football (known in America as soccer)  star, passed away on Nov. 25 from a heart attack in his home. At the age of 60 years old, Maradona has left a tremendous impact on football players everywhere.

Born on Oct. 30, 1960 in Lanús, Argentina, Maradona came from a low income family with four sisters and two younger brothers who also became interested in football. At the age of three, he received the gift of a soccer ball and that very gift started it all. 

He commenced his career playing football for the Argentinos Juniors on Oct. 20, 1976. At the young age of 15, he made history as the youngest player in the Argentine Primera Division. 

As he grew older, he participated in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, playing with the Argentinian team. He made history during the World Cup quarter final because, during one of the games, he touched the football with his hand and none of the coaches realized that it had happened so he did not get penalized for it. When he dribbled past five of England’s players over a 66 yard distance, he scored both goals, which led Argentina  to win the match against England. 

Match after match, it came down to the last two teams, Argentina and West Germany. Maradona’s team won. He also won the best player award, known as the Golden Ball. Maradona earned the name “El Pibe de Oro,” which exemplifies how great of a football player he truly became.

Even with great success, he still had many moments in his life where he struggled. Maradona struggled with drug addiction from the mid-1980’s all the way to 2004. He also had health issues with his weight. In 2009, he had financial issues and owed money to the Italian government. 

This month, he visited the hospital for what seemed like a minor concern. The next day, Dr. Leopoldo Luque performed brain surgery on Maradona because they discovered a subdural hematoma, or blood clot, that he had on his brain. Luque released him after a week of care in the hospital. Two weeks later, Maradona had a fatal heart attack while in his home in Tigre, Argentina. 

On the day of his funeral, Maradona had three jerseys laying on his coffin, one for each team he played on. Each jersey had a number ten on them. 

Maradona now rests in peace in the Bella Vista Cemetery.