Diego Maradona Biography: Net Worth, Family, Lifestyle and Career Stats

Diego Maradona is a name that every corner of this world knows. These days Argentina is known for their football dominance but it all started with the journey of Diego Armando Maradona.

Born on 30th October 1960 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Diego was a footballer whose name was synonymous with brilliance on the pitch and controversy off it.

The boy from Lanus is now widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Diego’s career was marked by unparalleled skill, memorable moments, and a personal life that often mirrored the drama of his professional journey.

His deepest relationship was with the ball on the pitch. In this blog, we will take a look at Diego’s journey throughout the years along with his lifestyle.

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Diego Maradona Bio

Attribute	Details
Full Name	Diego Armando Maradona
Date of Birth	October 30, 1960
Place of Birth	Lanus, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Nationality	Argentine
Height	5ft 5 in (1.65m)
Position	Attacking Midfielder/ Forward
Date of Death	November 25, 2020
Youth Clubs	Argentinos Juniors
Senior Carrer	Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Newell’s Old Boys, Boca Juniors
International	Argentina

Diego Maradona Net Worth & Salary

Let us have a look at the net worth and salary of Diego Armando Maradona:

Financial Aspect	Details
Estimated Net Worth at Time of Death	Closely $500,000
Earnings Overall	Around $500 million
Major Contracts	Record transfers to FC Barcelona and Napoli: massive salaries during peak career
Endorsements	Deals with brands such as Coca-Cola, Puma, and Hublot
Financial Challenges	Lifestyle choices, legal disputes, and financial mismanagement lead to diminished net worth at the time of death

Diego Maradona Early Life

Born in a poor family, Diego grew up in Villa Fiorito. It is a shantytown on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. His father, Diego Maradona Sr., worked in a factory while his mother, Dalma Salvadora Franco, managed the household.

From an early age, football was Diego’s way of life and escape from poverty. His skills with the ball were there for everyone to see. By the time he was eight, he joined Los Cebollitas, which is the youth team of Argentinos Juniors.

His technical abilities were years ahead of his age. Be it his amazing ball control or scoring abilities, his skillset and flair allowed him to make his professional debut for the Argentinos Juniors at only 15 years old.

Diego Maradona Career

Club Career

The Argentine’s club career spanned over two decades, in times which he played for some of the most prestigious clubs in the world. His playing style was defined by incredible dribbling, vision, agility, and goal-scoring prowess made him one of the best players in the world.

Diego made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors at only 15 years old. He stayed there from 1976 to 1981 and in these 5 years old he scored a total of 115 goals in 167 appearances. It was a remarkable record for a teenager. His performance attracted the attention of Boca Juniors.

In 1981, Boca Juniors got the signature of young Diego, who in turn fulfilled one of his childhood dreams, which was to play for Boca Juniors. Despite receiving better financial offers, he chose Boca because of his dream and passion. Diego won the Argentine Primera Division title with Boca in that first season, cementing his status as the best player in Argentina.

After an excellent 1982 FIFA World Cup, Maradona was signed by the Catalonian giants FC Barcelona for a world-record transfer fee of $7.6 million. His time in Spain was a mix of brilliance and controversy. In his two seasons at the club, he won the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup. Following the 1984 Copa del Rey final where Diego was involved in a brawl against Athletic Bilbao, he was sold by Barcelona.

In 1984, Diego Maradona went to Napoli for a world-record fee, becoming the most expensive footballer at that time. With his arrival, the improvement in the club was there for everyone to see. During his tenure, he won two Serie A titles (1986-87 and 1989-90). Moreover, he won the 1987 Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup (1989). He was more than a footballer and the fans of Naples adored him. To this day, you will find statues and murals of him in the city.

He was making headlines off-the-field also. Diego was involved in controversial relationships and developed a cocaine addiction. In 1991, he tested positive for cocaine which saw a 15-month ban and the departure from Napoli career.

After Napoli, Diego had some brief spells with Sevilla and Newell’s Old Boys, and a second tenure at Boca where he retired in 1997.

Club	Years	Appearances	Goals
Argentinos Juniors	1976-81	167	115
Boca Juniors	1981-82	40	28
Barcelona	1982-84	58	38
Napoli	1984-91	259	115
Sevilla	1992-93	29	7
Newell’s Old Boys	1993-94	5	0
Boca Juniors	1995-97	30	7

International Career

Diego’s international career was defined by glory, controversy, and heartbreak. He played a total of 91 matches for the Albicelestes and scored 34 goals while captaining in four World Cups.

When he was left out of the 1978 World Cup, it left the fans in fury. However, he made the squad in 1982 but was sent off in the elimination game. The 1986 World Cup was the tournament for Diego. He scored five goals and made five assists, leading his country to victory. It was in this campaign that we saw the famous Hand of God and the Goal of the Century where Diego made a solo run to leave 5 English People behind to score the goal. He lifted the World Cup trophy as the captain.

While Diego and his team made the finals of the next World Cup as well, they were unfortunately lost to West Germany after a late penalty. The 1994 World Cup was supposed to be the farewell for Diego but in between the tournament he tested positive for ephedrine, which saw the end of his international career.

Tournament	Year	Result
FIFA World Cup	1982	Group Stage
FIFA World Cup	1986	Champion
FIFA World Cup	1990	Finalist
FIFA World Cup	1994	Disqualified

Diego Maradona Personal Life & Partner

Diego Maradona’s personal life was often in the spotlight. The World Cup winner was married to Claudia Villafane from 1984 to 2004. They had two daughters, Giannina and Dalma. His daughter Giannina Maradona is married to Sergio Aguero.

Over the years, Diego had multiple relationships, leading to several children being publicly recognized later in his life. He recognized Diego Sinagra as his son in 2007 along with Jana Maradona in 2014. After his death, there were three other children of Diego revealed in Cuba.

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Diego Maradona Endorsements

Diego was one of the most marketable footballers in history. He signed deals with a lot of major global brands like Konami, Puma, Coca-Cola, FIFA, and Hublot. However, his rebellious personality and controversies cost him a lot of sponsorships.

Diego Maradona Cars and Houses

The Argentine had a passion for luxury cars and owned some of the most expensive and exotic vehicles of his time. Some of his famous cars owned by Maradona were Ferrari Testarossa, Porsche 924, BMW I*, and Rolls-Royce Ghost.

He also owned quite a few lavish properties around the world. Some of his famous homes are in Buenos Aires, Naples, and Dubai.