As Pele was wrapping up his glorious playing career in the late 1970's with an encore run in the NASL, an Argentinian teenager with similar wizardry was just getting started. Diego Maradona had yet to turn 16 when he made his professional debut in the Argentine First Division. He scored 115 goals in 167 games for the Argentinos Juniors, all before his 21st birthday.
His superstardom went global when he transferred to famed Spanish club FC Barcelona in 1982 and played in his first World Cup for Argentina. The 5' 5" playmaker's instincts, vision and deft passing combined with his quickness, dribbling skills and superior ball control left fans and even opponents in awe.
It was at the 1986 World Cup that his legend reached mythic proportions when he captained La Albiceleste to their world title. Maradona's "Hand of God" goal in the Quarterfinals against England is the most notorious goal in international soccer history. The fiery forward known as "El Pibe de Oro" (The Golden Boy) followed that up minutes later by taking on virtually the entire English team to score the "Goal of the Century" to the amazement of 114,000 fans in Estadio Azteca. His fame on the pitch would later be met with much controversy and notoriety off it, yet Diego Maradona shares the title with Pele as FIFA's Player of the 20th Century.
Offered here is Maradona's autographed Argentina National Team replica jersey. Any of Maradona's memoriabilia atttracts attention, but even more so after his unfotunate passing in 2020 at age .
Maradona has signed the front in legible, bold black marker (8/10), his unique penmanship style authenticated by Beckett.