On 29 June 1986, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Diego Maradona was hoisted onto the shoulders of his teammates with the World Cup held above his head. Argentina had just beaten West Germany 3-2 in the final.
It was the end of a tournament he had run almost on his own. The Hand of God and the Goal of the Century against England. The assists in the final. Along the way he had scored five goals and set up five more.
Why this moment, of all the moments from 1986?
Because it was the point where the argument ended. Maradona went into the tournament as a great player. He came out of it holding the trophy and widely accepted as the best in the world.
He was named the best player of the tournament and took the Golden Ball, and nobody seriously argued about it. Many people still regard his month in Mexico as the finest individual tournament any footballer has had. The case is not complicated: five goals, five assists, and a hand in almost every important moment Argentina had.
The picture of him on his teammates' shoulders became one of the most recognisable images the World Cup has produced, and it still sums up that month better than any statistic.
- Match: Argentina 3-2 West Germany, 1986 Final
- Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
- Maradona's tournament: 5 goals, 5 assists, the Golden Ball
After everything else he had done in Mexico, the trophy was the only thing left to collect. He collected it.
Tomorrow: number 17.
