Maradona arrived in Mexico as the chosen one. In Serie A, he had already been a star, but Argentina, led by Carlos Bilardo, came in surrounded by doubt and criticism. The buildup was turbulent: losses to France and Norway, and a tense atmosphere. But something changed in the final friendly against Israel, where Diego scored twice. It was the sign: something special was coming.

Road to Glory

The debut came against South Korea, under the sun at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario. A rough, physical match. Maradona was fouled 12 times… twelve. They had no way to stop him. Argentina won 3-1, but beyond the scoreline, the message was clear: everything flowed through him. He delivered three assists. Pure class.

Then came Italy, the defending champions. Catenaccio, hard tackles, relentless marking. Argentina fell behind, but in the 34th minute, the genius appeared: from an impossible angle, with no space, Maradona equalized. A goal from another planet.

Against Bulgaria, Argentina fully found its rhythm. Diego orchestrated every attack like a conductor. A perfect assist to Valdano was ruled offside incorrectly, but soon after he created another masterpiece: a brilliant cross for Burruchaga to score the 2-0.

In the Round of 16, Uruguay awaited. A Río de la Plata classic. A war-like match. Rain, tension, and heavy tackles. Maradona suffered 10 more fouls and nearly scored a historic free kick: the shot cleared the wall and smashed off the post. The entire stadium froze. Argentina won 1-0 and advanced.

The Eternal Match and Glory

But destiny had prepared the most immortal match of all.

June 22, 1986. Estadio Azteca. Argentina vs. England. Much more than football. The wounds of the Malvinas war were still fresh, and the atmosphere was charged with tension.

Then Diego took over.

First came the Hand of God. A loose ball, Shilton comes out, Maradona jumps… and his left hand sends the ball into the net. England protested, the entire world saw the foul—except the referee. The Azteca erupted.

But what followed turned controversy into eternity.

Four minutes later, Maradona picked up the ball at midfield. He turned, accelerated, and left five English players behind in an unforgettable run. Close control, perfect balance, speed, and a clinical finish. The greatest goal of all time. Cosmic Kite.

In the semifinals against Belgium, he once again dismantled defenses. Two more goals, both created entirely by him. Diego was playing a different sport.

The final against West Germany was pure tension. Argentina led 2-0, but the Germans equalized and seemed ready to push the match into extra time. Then the genius appeared once more: Maradona threaded a perfect pass through defenders to Burruchaga. Goal. World Cup.

And the statistics complete the impossible story.

Seven matches. Five goals. Five assists. Maradona remains the only player in World Cup history to achieve those numbers in a single edition. He was directly involved in 71% of Argentina’s goals and created nearly 18 clear scoring chances throughout the tournament.

Mexico 86 was not just a World Cup.

It was the most dominant individual performance in FIFA World Cup history.

It was Diego Armando Maradona taking control of the ball, the tournament… and eternity.

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