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Thousands of fans in Argentina are paying their respects to Diego Maradona as part of three days of national mourning after his death on Wednesday at age 60.
The body of the 1986 world champion captain was transferred to the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires, where it will remain until Saturday.
By early Thursday, thousands were already forming a meandering line through the streets near the central Plaza de Mayo in the country’s capital after a night of mourning and memories.
Maradona’s body lay in a coffin with the blue and white national flag and an Argentina soccer jersey with the number 10 that had been part of his nickname “D10S,” a game for “god,” the Spanish word for God.
Large crowds gathered in front of the presidential palace in Buenos Aires.
Officials installed barriers to try to control the number of mourners
The death of Diego Maradona has caused a torrent of tributes
His relatives were among the crowd that gathered in front of the Casa Rosada when his coffin was removed from the ambulance.
“He was someone who touched the sky with his hands but never lifted the ground,” President Alberto Fernández said Wednesday.
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Thousands of fans have gathered in the streets of Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires, praying, laying flowers and singing for their hero Diego Maradona.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Argentina to mourn his passing, leaving flowers and messages at his childhood home on the outskirts of Buenos Aires and outside the stadium of the former Boca Juniors club of Maradona.
Fans pay tribute to Maradona in Buenos Aires
In tribute to Maradona, Internacional lit their stadium with the colors of the Argentine flag after their match with Boca Juniors was postponed after the news of his death.
Boca Juniors, where Maradona had two spells and ended his career, wrote “Eternal gratitude. Eternal Diego.” in tribute to his former player.
Argentine soccer fan Pope Francis remembered Maradona in his prayers, the Vatican said.
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Diego Maradona’s fans in Argentina give their reaction to the news of the death of the former world champion at the age of 60.
Maradona also played for Barcelona and Napoli, who are in talks to rename their San Paolo stadium in his honor, combining his current title with his full iconic name.
There was a minute of silence before the Champions League matches on Wednesday and the same will happen before all other European matches this week.
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Diego Maradona fans light candles and pay tributes in the streets of Buenos Aires
Bielsa: Maradona ‘beauty’ unmatched
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Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa pays tribute to the brilliance of his compatriot Diego Maradona.
Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa paid tribute to his compatriot Maradona.
“He was for us and will continue to be an idol,” Bielsa said during his press conference ahead of Saturday’s Premier League game at Everton.
“The fact that he is no longer with us brings a lot of sadness. We have lost an idol and it makes us feel weak.
“What really stood out was his relationship with the public. Everything he did as a footballer was of a beauty that cannot be equaled.”
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Diego Simeone says he couldn’t believe Diego Maradona had died when he found out before Atlético de Madrid’s Champions League match with Lokomotiv Moscow and says the world has lost a ‘myth’.
Bielsa believes that it is difficult to compare Maradona with people like Alfredo Di Stefano, Johan Cruyff and Pele, great companions of different generations.
“If I had to compare the great players, it is very difficult to come to a conclusion because you have to take into account many factors,” Bielsa said.
“It all comes down to the feeling that each player has left you at that moment, it was part of your time and it left you a certain feeling and you carry it with you.
“Something that saddens me a lot is that players like Maradona and (Lionel) Messi, who showed individual brilliance through dribbling, are versions of players who stop repeating themselves.
“For example, (Kylian) Mbappé is the best player in the world at the moment, but his art is not comparable to that of Maradona and Messi.”
‘Born as a pawn, die as a king’
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South American expert Tim Vickery pays tribute to the great Argentine Diego Maradona, who says that through soccer he became king.
Maradona is remembered for scoring the famous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals.
Four minutes later, he scored what has been described as the “goal of the century” – collecting the ball in his own half before going through a labyrinthine run between several opposing players before circling Peter Shilton to score.
In addition to the World Cup triumph in 1986, when Argentina beat West Germany in the final, Maradona also led his country to the final of the Italia 90 tournament, and led them in South Africa in 2010.
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Marseille head coach Andre Villas-Boas says FIFA should pay tribute to Diego Maradona by retiring the number 10 jersey for all teams.
His international playing career ended after he failed a drug test at the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
He was also banned from soccer in 1991 after testing positive for cocaine while playing for the Italian team Napoli, where he won two Serie A titles over a successful seven-year stint.
Since retiring from soccer on his 37th birthday, he has remained plagued with problems, but South American soccer expert Tim Vickery says the attacking midfielder’s sports genius will forever be his legacy.
“The Maradona of the 21st century will fade into history, he will fade from the collective consciousness,” Vickery told Sky Sports News.
“The Maradona who will be immortalized is the Maradona at the height of his powers in 1986.”
Diego Maradona: in pictures
Diego Maradona, carried away by the fans after winning the 1981 Argentine championship with Boca Juniors
From his days at Boca Juniors, to Napoli and various World Cups, he relives some amazing images of a rather extraordinary career.
Diego Maradona: The Iconic Images
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