Diego Maradona, one of the greatest players in soccer history who almost singlehandedly led his native Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, has died, the country’s football federation said on Wednesday. He was 60.
The cause of death was not immediately clear, but Maradona had long battled heath problems since his playing days ended and underwent brain surgery in Buenos Aires last month. Argentine newspaper Clarin was the first to report his passing, with a host of other outlets from around the world quickly following suit.
Maradona’s lawyer confirmed the news to the New York Times. The AFA did the same in a tweet a short time later:
Napoli, for whom Maradona starred from 1984-1991 and scored 115 goals in 259 appearances, tweeted out a tribute of their own:
So did Barcelona, where Maradona first moved to Europe from Boca Juniors in Argentina in 1982: