‘God is dead’: Front pages from around the globe pay moving tributes to Diego Maradona as the world mourns a footballing icon
The world of football is in mourning after the death of icon Diego Maradona at the age of 60 from a heart attack.
Front pages from across the globe paid tribute to the sporting legend on Thursday, a day after he passed away in Buenos Aires.
From Europe to the USA, India to Malaysia, Nigeria and – of course- throughout his native South America, photos of Maradona’s face were inked across pages.
‘God is dead,’ declared France’s L’Equipe – far from the only publication to compare the 5ft 4ins Argentine to the Almighty.
Spain’s Marca newspaper also ran with a touching quote of Maradona’s which read: ‘If I am reborn, I want to be a footballer. And I want to be Diego Armando Maradona again. I am a player who has made people happy, and that is enough for me.’
L’Equipe’s front page on Thursday pays tribute to Maradona with ‘God is dead’ on the front
Spanish newspaper Marca printed a double-page image of Maradona, along with a quote of his which reads: ‘If I am reborn, I want to be a footballer. And I want to be Diego Armando Maradona again. I am a player who has made people happy and that is enough for me’
Italian newspaper Tuttosport bid ‘adios’ to Maradona using his famous no.10 shirt number, while Corriere dello Sport declared ‘Diego lives’
Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy lead with ‘the death of the God of football’ alongside a headline which says ‘I saw Maradona’ along with a picture of him kissing the World Cup in 1986
Mundo Deportivo, a daily sports paper in Barcelona (left) says that all sport mourns Maradona, while Spanish daily Sport added: ‘God is already in heaven’
Cronica, a daily newspaper in Maradona’s native Buenos Aires, bid him ‘adios’ alongside a glowing tribute which ends with: ‘Thank you for everything, maestro!’
France’s Liberation newspaper ran with the headline ‘Heavenly’ alongside a picture of Maradona from the back, with his signature dark black hair and no.10 shirt
Maradona’s touch, speed and poise was a fabulous combination on the pitch and propelled him from the slums of Buenos Aires to timeless stardom through the world of football.
The unplayable level that he reached as he spearheaded Argentina’s surge to 1986 World Cup glory in Mexico is most prominently remembered.
The Italian papers, in the country where he also thrived with Napoli, mainly lead with pictures of him in the blue and white of his country.
La Gazzetta dello Sport, with a picture of Maradona kissing the iconic World Cup trophy in 86, say: ‘I saw Maradona’.
AS’s front page read ‘D10S Ha Muerto’ with a picture of Maradona in front of the sun
Tuttosport have the picture of him being carried on the shoulders of his team-mates in the immediate aftermath of his World Cup triumph at the Aztec stadium, with the headline: ‘AD10S’, referencing the No 10 shirt that became synonymous with his career.
Corrierre dello Sport have a picture of Maradona in his Napoli days under the headline ‘Diego Lives’.
In Spain, the tributes to Argentina are just as gracious. Marca runs a powerful quote of Maradona reflecting on his life on its front page, which says: ‘If I die I want to be born again and I want to be a footballer.
And I want to be Diego Armando Maradona again. I am a player who has brought joy to the people and that is enough for me.’
Mundo Deportivo – the Barcelona based publication – also run with an ‘AD10S’ style headline and say all of sport, not just football, is mourning his death.
AS’s front page read ‘D10S Ha Muerto’ with a picture of Maradona wearing an Argentina shirt while stood in front of the sun.
Sport use the same picture as Tuttosport in Italy but with the headline: ‘God is already in heaven.’
