116-392: Argentine professional footballer Eponyms and public art Films Media Family Related Diego Armando Maradona Franco ( Spanish: [ˈdjeɣo maɾaˈðona] ; 30 October 1960 – 25 November 2020) was an Argentine professional football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he
232-573: A 2009 article for CBC Sports , John Molinaro described the goal as "the greatest ever scored in the tournament – and, maybe, in soccer." In a 2018 article for Sportsnet , he added: "No other player, not even Pel[é] in 1958 nor Paolo Rossi in 1982, had dominated a single competition the way Maradona did in Mexico." He also went on to say of Maradona's performance: "The brilliant Argentine artist single-handedly delivered his country its second World Cup." Regarding his two memorable goals against England in
348-471: A Bilbao shirt. The mass brawl was played out in front of the Spanish King Juan Carlos and an audience of 100,000 fans inside the stadium, and more than half of Spain watching on television. After fans began throwing solid objects on the field at the players, coaches and even photographers, sixty people were injured, with the incident effectively sealing Maradona's transfer out of the club in what
464-657: A C2 category regarding proficiency in the English language, there's a large number of people who are at least able to hold a conversation and make themselves understood. Religion in Argentina (2022) A majority of the population of Argentina is Christian . According to CONICET survey on creeds, about 76.5% of Argentines are Roman Catholic , 11.3% religiously indifferent, 9% Protestant (with 7.9% in Pentecostal denominations), 1.2% Jehovah's Witnesses , and 0.9% Mormons . Argentina
580-616: A brace in a victory against his Chacarita Juniors. In 1979, Maradona scored 26 goals in 26 games, and finished top scorer in both Metropolian and Nacional tournamets. in 1980, he scored 43 goals in 45 appearances and was the top scorer again for the last four consecutive tournaments. Maradona spent five years at Argentinos Juniors , from 1976 to 1981, scoring 115 goals in 167 appearances before his US$ 4 million transfer to Boca Juniors in February 1981. Maradona received offers to join other clubs, including River Plate who offered to make him
696-455: A citizen or resident of Argentina. Asian Argentines settled in Argentina in large numbers during several waves of immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 19th century, West Asian immigrants, primarily from Lebanon and Syria came as a result of the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war . In the early 20th century, a small wave of East Asian immigrants, particularly from Japan came to the country. The first Argentines of East Asian descent were
812-661: A dialect called Patagonian Welsh , which has developed since the start of the Welsh settlement in Argentina in 1865. A high percentage of Argentines are proficient in the English language since its teaching is included in educational establishments as early as kindergarten. According to the 2023 edition of the English Proficiency Index, Argentines have the highest level of English proficiency in Latin America , ranking 28th worldwide. While of course not everybody falls under
928-405: A further 20% state they do not know whether or not they have any black ancestors. Genetic studies carried out in 2005 showed that the average level of African genetic contribution in the population of Buenos Aires is 2.2%, but that this component is concentrated in 10% of the population who display notably higher levels of African ancestry. Today there is still a notable Afro-Argentine community in
1044-456: A goal after dribbling past Alberto Tarantini and Fillol. Despite the distrustful relationship between Maradona and Boca Juniors manager, Silvio Marzolini , Boca had a successful season, winning the league title after securing a point against Racing Club . That would be the only title won by Maradona in the Argentine domestic league. "He had complete mastery of the ball. When Maradona ran with
1160-616: A large European contribution of 78.5%, against 17.3% of Amerindian and 4.2% Black African contributions. Several studies found out that the European ancestry in Argentina comes mainly from the Iberian Peninsula and Italy with a much lower contribution from Central and Northern Europe . The Italian component appears strongest in the East and Center-West, while the Spanish influence dominates in
1276-468: A low profile, and is accepted by greater Argentine society. Primarily living in their own neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires, many currently own their own businesses of varying sizes – largely textiles, grocery stores, and buffet-style restaurants. Arabs and Argentines with partial Arab ancestry represent about 3.2 million people, whose ancestry traces back to any of various waves of immigrants, largely from
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#17328585319401392-505: A majority in the country since 1914. Some international sources claim the European component of the population to be at around 97%. The most numerous immigrant European communities are: Spaniards (including Basques , Asturians and Galicians ), Italians (62.5% of the population have some degree of Italian descent), Germans , Scandinavians (mainly Danes and Swedes ), Slavs (including Russians , Ukrainians , Poles , Czechs , Bulgarians , Slovenes , Serbs and Croats ), Finns ,
1508-403: A mid-stop between Asunción and Buenos Aires ; the city flourished thanks to the traffic from the route. Jesuits erected missions in the north of the province, where they dedicated themselves to the expansion of the faith. In the wars of independence from Spain, Corrientes joined Artigas ' Liga de los Pueblos Libres (1814–1820). The attack of Paraguayan forces on the province in 1865 marked
1624-416: A peak due to a variety of issues, notably the economic differences between the two. Led by Maradona, Napoli won their first ever Serie A Championship in 1986–87 . Regarding the celebrations, Goldblatt wrote, "The celebrations were tumultuous. A rolling series of impromptu street parties and festivities broke out contagiously across the city in a round-the-clock carnival which ran for over a week. The world
1740-528: A poll on Il Mattino , 54% of fans voted to keep the shirt retired, and the change ultimate did not occur. On 4 December 2020, nine days after Maradona's death, Napoli's home stadium was renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. After serving a 15-month ban for failing a drug test for cocaine, Maradona left Napoli in disgrace in 1992. Despite interest from Real Madrid and Marseille , he signed for Sevilla , where he stayed for one year. In 1993, he played for Newell's Old Boys and in 1995 returned to Boca Juniors for
1856-556: A rebuke from the national committee of the UCR itself, and this triggered a revolt from the Corrientes chapter of the party, as well as a number of others' (notably in Mendoza Province ). These differences led to the appearance that year of "K" Radicals – UCR governors and other lawmakers allied to President Kirchner. The northeastern tip of Corrientes Province was chosen as
1972-638: A reckless tackle by Athletic Bilbao's Andoni Goikoetxea —nicknamed "the Butcher of Bilbao"—threatened to jeopardize Maradona's career, but with treatment and rehabilitation, it was possible for him to return to the pitch after a three-month recovery period. Maradona was directly involved in a violent fight during the 1984 Copa del Rey Final in Madrid against Athletic Bilbao. After receiving another hard tackle by Goikoetxea, as well as being taunted with racist insults related to his father's Native American ancestry throughout
2088-583: A scandal there regarding an illegitimate son , and he was also the object of some suspicion over an alleged friendship with the Camorra crime syndicate. He also faced intense backlash and harassment from some local fans after the 1990 World Cup, in which he and Argentina beat Italy in a semi-final match at the San Paolo stadium. In 2000, the number 10 jersey of Napoli was officially retired , but in 2011, Maradona stated that he wanted Ezequiel Lavezzi to use it. In
2204-400: A significantly higher estimate of European ancestry at 78.5% of the average Argentine's autosomal DNA. Argentina has 35 officially recognized indigenous people groups. As of the 2010 census [ INDEC ] , some 955,032 Argentines (2.38% of the country's population) self-identify as indigenous or first-generation descendants of indigenous peoples. The most populous indigenous groups were
2320-558: A small group of Japanese immigrants, mainly from the Okinawa prefecture , which came in the period between the early and mid 20th century. In the 1960s, Koreans began to arrive, and in the 1980s, Taiwanese immigrants. The 1990s brought the largest wave of Asian immigration so far to Argentina, from mainland Chinese immigrants, eventually becoming the fourth largest immigrant community in 2013, after Paraguayans, Bolivians, and Peruvians. The small East Asian Argentine population has generally kept
2436-499: A talent scout while he was playing in his local club Estrella Roja. In March 1969 he was recommended to Los Cebollitas (The Little Onions), the junior team of Buenos Aires's Argentinos Juniors by his close friend and football rival Gregorio Carrizo who had already been picked by coach Francis Gregorio Cornejo. Maradona became a star for the Cebollitas, and as a 12-year-old ball boy he amused spectators by showing his ball skills during
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#17328585319402552-638: A team that also included such players as Mario Kempes , Osvaldo Ardiles , Ramón Díaz , Daniel Bertoni , Alberto Tarantini , Ubaldo Fillol and Daniel Passarella , the Argentine side was defeated in the second round by Brazil and by eventual winners Italy . The Italian match is renowned for Maradona being aggressively man-marked by Claudio Gentile , as Italy beat Argentina at the Sarrià Stadium in Barcelona, 2–1. Maradona played in all five matches without being substituted, scoring twice against Hungary. He
2668-472: A troubled off-field life and his time with Napoli ended after he was banned for taking cocaine. In his international career with Argentina , he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups , including the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, where he captained Argentina and led them to victory over West Germany in the final, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. In
2784-536: A two-year stint. Maradona also appeared for Tottenham Hotspur in a testimonial match for Osvaldo Ardiles against Internazionale, shortly before the 1986 World Cup . In 1996, he played in a friendly match alongside his brother Raul for Toronto Italia against the Canadian National Soccer League All-Stars. In 2000, he captained Bayern Munich in a friendly against the German national team in
2900-534: Is a melting pot of different peoples. In the mid-19th century a large wave of immigration started to arrive in Argentina due to new Constitutional policies that encouraged immigration, and issues in the countries the immigrants came from, such as wars, poverty, hunger, and famines. The main immigration sources were from Europe, the countries from the Near and the Middle East, Russia, and Japan. Eventually, Argentina became
3016-441: Is a multiethnic society, home to people of various ethnic , racial , religious , denomination , and national origins, with the majority of the population made up of Old World immigrants and their descendants. As a result, Argentines do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizenship and allegiance to Argentina. Aside from the indigenous population, nearly all Argentines or their ancestors immigrated within
3132-555: Is divided into the usual three branches: the executive, headed by a popularly elected governor, who appoint the cabinet; the legislative; and the judiciary, headed by the Supreme Court. The legislative branch is a bicameral body composed of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The Legislature is charged with introducing and passing local laws. The Constitution of Corrientes Province forms
3248-577: Is estimated that more than 20 million Argentines, more than 46% of the total population, have Italian ancestry, wholly or in part. Argentines descend mostly from Spaniards, Italians, Native Americans and to a lesser extent from French, Germans, Arabs, Slavs, Irish, Sub-Saharan Africans, East Asians, and others. Immigration of recent decades includes mainly Paraguayans , Bolivians , Peruvians , and Brazilians , among other Latin Americans , Eastern Europeans, Africans, Arabs, and Asians. Genetic ancestry of
3364-543: Is home to the largest Jewish population in Latin America and 6th in the world, numbering 182,300 individuals or 0.45% of the population. On a city level, Buenos Aires has the second largest population of Jews in the Americas, second only to New York City. Argentina is also home to the largest Muslim minority in Latin America (see Islam in Argentina ). Although accurate statistics on religion are not available (because
3480-471: Is surrounded by (from the north, clockwise): Paraguay , the province of Misiones , Brazil , Uruguay , and the provinces of Entre Rios , Santa Fe and Chaco . Before the arrival of the Spanish conquest, the Kaingang , Charrua and Guaraní lived in a big area that also covered most of the current province of Corrientes. The city of Corrientes was founded on 3 April 1588 by Juan Torres de Vera y Aragón as
3596-560: Is surrounded by two rivers – the Uruguay River to the east, and the Paraná River to the northwest – that contour the shape of the province. The low shore of the Paraná produces frequent floodings. After a specially destructive one in 1982, a protective system has been started with the construction of barriers. The province is for the most part a plain , with the highest points in the east. To
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3712-521: Is the rainiest season while winter is the driest. According to the 2022 Argentine national census, the Province of Corrientes has 1,197,553 inhabitants. Corrientes, like much of the Argentine north, has long had a relatively underdeveloped economy. Its 2006 output was estimated at US$ 4.2 billion (which shall be around US$ 6.7 billion in 2011, according to Argentina's economic growth), or, US$ 4,540 per capita (around US$ 6,600 in 2011), nearly 40% below
3828-457: The Los Angeles Times called it "one of the greatest individual performances in tournament history," with Steven Goff of The Washington Post dubbing his performance as "one of the finest in tournament annals." In 2002, Russell Thomas of The Guardian described Maradona's second goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals as "arguably the greatest individual goal ever." In
3944-541: The 1982–83 season , under coach César Luis Menotti , Barcelona and Maradona won two trophies, the Copa del Rey and Copa de la Liga , both of them coming against Real Madrid. On 26 June 1983, in the 1st leg of the Copa de la Liga finals at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Maradona scored and became the first Barcelona player to be applauded by arch-rival Real Madrid fans. Maradona dribbled past Madrid goalkeeper Agustín , and as he approached
4060-563: The 1986 World Cup in Mexico, winning the final in Mexico City against West Germany . Throughout the tournament, Maradona asserted his dominance and was the most dynamic player of the competition. He played every minute of every Argentina game, scoring five goals and making five assists; three of the assists came in the opening match against South Korea at the Olímpico Universitario Stadium in Mexico City . His first goal of
4176-478: The 1986 World Cup quarter final , he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over England that entered football history for two different reasons. The first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the " Hand of God ", while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England players, voted " Goal of the Century " by FIFA.com voters in 2002. Maradona also had a career in management. He became
4292-564: The Aonikenk , Kolla , Qom , Wichí , Diaguita , Mocoví , Huarpe peoples , Mapuche and Guarani Many Argentines also identify as having at least one indigenous ancestor; a genetic study conducted by the University of Buenos Aires in 2011 showed that 56% of the 320 Argentines sampled were shown to have at least one indigenous ancestor in one parental lineage and around 11% had indigenous ancestors in both parental lineages. Jujuy Province , in
4408-534: The Argentine Northwest , is home to the highest percentage of households (15%) with at least one indigenous resident or a direct descendant of an indigenous person; Chubut and Neuquén Provinces , in Patagonia , have upwards of 12%. According to the Argentine national census of 2010, 149,493 (0.37% of the country's overall population) identified as Afro-Argentine , although according to gene pools studies,
4524-507: The Buenos Aires districts of San Telmo and La Boca . There are also quite a few African-descended Argentines in Merlo and Ciudad Evita , in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. Immigration from Cape Verde was one of the earliest African migratory flows in the post-colonial era, beginning as early as the late 19th century and well into the 20th century. Today, Cape Verdeans constitute one of
4640-660: The French (including francophone Basques ), the Irish , Portuguese , the Dutch , among others in smaller number. There are approximately 300,000 Romani descendants in Argentina. They belong to the Romani subgroups Greek, Moldavian and Russian Kalderash , some Lovari and some Chilean Xoraxane. There are also Spanish Kalé and Boyash living in Argentina. Within the population totals, there may be an imprecise amount of mixed population. In one of
4756-560: The International Organization for Migration there have been about 806,369 since 2001. The first wave of emigration occurred during the military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983, principally to Spain, the United States, Mexico and Venezuela. During the 1990s, due to the abolition of visas between Argentina and the United States, thousands of Argentines emigrated to North America. The last major wave of emigration occurred during
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4872-619: The Levantine region of Western Asia, from what is now Syria and Lebanon ; and from Cilicia and Palestine in a lesser extent. Due to the fact that many Arab countries were under control of the Ottoman Empire by the time the large immigration wave took place, most Arabs entered the country with Turkish passports, and so they are colloquially referred to as los turcos . There are also 80,000 to 135,000 descendants of Armenians in Argentina, most of them in Buenos Aires , representing one of
4988-574: The Santiago Bernabéu . Three days later, Barcelona won the second leg 2–1, with Maradona scoring a penalty and helping his club win another title against their archrivals . Due to illness and injury as well as controversial incidents on the field, Maradona had a difficult tenure in Barcelona. First a bout of hepatitis , then a broken ankle in a La Liga game at the Camp Nou in September 1983 caused by
5104-591: The United Kingdom and Germany . The most popular immigration destinations in the Americas are: the United States and Brazil , and to a lesser degree, mostly to ( Uruguay and Canada ): Chile , Paraguay and Bolivia , while other communities settled in Venezuela , Peru , Colombia , Ecuador and Costa Rica . Israel is home to the largest Argentine diaspora in the Middle East. In Oceania, Australia has
5220-441: The world record transfer fee twice: in 1982 when he transferred to Barcelona for £5 million, and in 1984 when he moved to Napoli for a fee of £6.9 million. He played for Argentinos Juniors , Boca Juniors , Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli where he won numerous accolades and led the club to Serie A title wins twice. Maradona also had
5336-600: The " Hand of God ". Ultimately, on 22 August 2005, Maradona acknowledged on his television show that he had hit the ball with his hand purposely, and no contact with his head was made, and that he immediately knew the goal was illegitimate. This became known as an international fiasco in World Cup history. The goal stood, much to the wrath of the English players. "Maradona, turns like a little eel and comes away from trouble, little squat man... comes inside Butcher and leaves him for dead, outside Fenwick and leaves him for dead, and puts
5452-483: The 1986 World Cup as a 14-year-old, stated Maradona "was on another level". In a tribute to him, Azteca Stadium authorities built a statue of him scoring the "Goal of the Century" and placed it at the entrance of the stadium. Regarding Maradona's performance at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, in 2014, Roger Bennett of ESPN FC described it as "the most virtuoso performance a World Cup has ever witnessed," while Kevin Baxter of
5568-534: The 2001 crisis, mainly to Europe, especially Spain, although there was also an increase in emigration to neighboring countries, particularly Brazil, Chile and Paraguay. The rate of Argentine emigration to Europe (especially to Spain and Italy ) peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s and is noteworthy. Spain and Italy have the largest Argentine communities in Europe, however, there are also important communities in France ,
5684-503: The Argentine population with some degree of Sub-Saharan African descent would be around 7.5%. World Bank and Argentine government estimates have suggested the Argentine population with at least some African ancestry could number over 2 million, or between 4% and 6% of the population. Despite the fact that in the 1960s it was calculated that Argentina owed two thirds of the volume of its population to European immigration, over 5% of Argentines state they have at least one black ancestor, and
5800-568: The French newspaper L'Équipe describing Maradona as "half-angel, half-devil". This match was played with the background of the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Replays showed that the first goal was scored by striking the ball with his hand. Maradona was coyly evasive, describing it as "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God". It became known as
5916-579: The North East and North West. Argentines of total or partial European descent constitute the majority of Argentina's population. Ethnic Europeans include the Argentine descendants of colonists from Spain during the colonial period prior to 1810, and mainly of immigrants from Europe in the great immigratory wave from the mid 19th century to the mid 20th century. No recent Argentine census has included comprehensive questions on ethnicity, although numerous studies have determined that European Argentines have been
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#17328585319406032-453: The United States in 1847 ). The Corrientes stamps were close copies of the first issue of stamps from France , which depicted the profile head of Ceres , the Roman goddess of agriculture, and were individually crudely engraved by hand, so that each die is noticeably different, and were printed in small sheets. The first issues, from 1856 to 1860, bore the denomination in the lower panel; in 1860,
6148-478: The assist for the winning goal in the final, ensuring that he would be remembered as one of the greatest names in football history. By the end of the World Cup, Maradona went on to win the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament by unanimous vote and was widely regarded to have won the World Cup virtually single-handedly, something that he later stated he did not entirely agree with. Zinedine Zidane , watching
6264-481: The average Argentine gene pool according to Caputo et al. (2021) using X-DIPs (matrilineal). The average is Castizo (with Spanish and Italian ancestry): Large comprehensive studies across Argentina's many regions in order to characterize the genetic admixture have been lacking. Small sample size studies give the following composition. A team led by Daniel Corach conducted a study in 2010, analyzing 246 samples from eight provinces and three different regions of
6380-423: The ball away... and that is why Maradona is the greatest player in the world." —Bryon Butler's BBC Radio commentary on Maradona's second goal against England. Maradona's second goal, just four minutes after the hotly disputed hand-goal, was later voted by FIFA as the greatest goal in the history of the World Cup. He received the ball in his own half, swivelled around and with 11 touches ran more than half
6496-463: The ball or dribbled through the defence, he seemed to have the ball tied to his boots. I remember our early training sessions with him: the rest of the team were so amazed that they just stood and watched him. We all thought ourselves privileged to be witnesses of his genius." —Barcelona teammate Lobo Carrasco After the 1982 World Cup , Maradona was transferred to Barcelona for a then world record fee of £5 million ($ 7.6 million). In
6612-539: The city of Ituzaingó , the Yaciretá dam provides energy not only to the province, but to both Argentina and Paraguay . Tourism has been growing in Corrientes Province due to the relevance that Esteros del Ibera has for ecotourism and birdwatching travelers. Iberá National Park was created in 2018. Golden dorado fishing has long attracted both local and outside tourism to Corrientes. The provincial government
6728-462: The club's best paid player. However, River decided to drop its bid due to its large payroll in keeping Daniel Passarella and Ubaldo Fillol . Maradona signed a contract with Boca Juniors on 20 February 1981. He made his debut two days later against Talleres de Córdoba , scoring twice in the club's 4–1 win. On 10 April, Maradona played his first Superclásico against River Plate at La Bombonera stadium. Boca defeated River 3–0 with Maradona scoring
6844-632: The coach of Argentina's national football team in November 2008. He was in charge of the team at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa before leaving at the end of the tournament. He then coached Dubai -based club Al Wasl in the UAE Pro-League for the 2011–12 season. In 2017, Maradona became the coach of Fujairah before leaving at the end of the season. From May to September 2018, he was the chairman of Dynamo Brest. From September 2018 to June 2019, Maradona
6960-615: The country with the second-largest number of immigrants in the period, with 6.6 million, second only to the United States with 27 million. Therefore, most Argentines are of full or partial European descent (with a significant indigenous component, and a less prominent black component), and are either descendants of colonial-era settlers and/or of the 19th and 20th century immigrants from Europe . The most common ethnic groups are Caucasians (mostly Spanish and Italian descent) and/or Mestizos (mixed European and Native American ancestry). According to Argentine government websites, it
7076-428: The country. The results were as follows: the analysis of Y-Chromosome DNA revealed a 94.1% of European contribution, and only 4.9% and 0.9% of Native American and Black African contribution, respectively. Mitochondrial DNA analysis again showed a great Amerindian contribution by maternal lineage, at 53.7%, with 44.3% of European contribution, and a 2% African contribution. The study of 24 autosomal markers also proved
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#17328585319407192-509: The elimination. In the 1988–89 season, Napoli finished runner-up in the league and in the Coppa Italia, losing to Sampdoria in the final . However the team avenged these runner-up finishes with the UEFA Cup title, won over two legs in the final against Stuttgart . During the second leg of the quarterfinals against rivals Juventus, Maradona scored a penalty, and Napoli eventually qualified to
7308-440: The empty goal, he stopped just as Madrid defender Juan José came sliding in an attempt to block the shot. José ended up crashing into the post, before Maradona slotted the ball into the net. With the manner in which the goal was scored resulting in applause from opposition fans, only Ronaldinho (in November 2005) and Andrés Iniesta (in November 2015) have since been granted such an ovation as Barcelona players from Madrid fans at
7424-399: The face and kneed another player in the head, knocking him out cold. The Bilbao squad surrounded Maradona to exact some retribution, with Goikoetxea connecting with a high kick to his chest, before the rest of the Barcelona squad joined in to help Maradona. From this point, Barcelona and Bilbao players brawled on the field with Maradona in the centre of the action, kicking and punching anyone in
7540-511: The facility's current installed electric capacity of 4,050 MW. Culture in Corrientes has been primarily informed and influenced by its European and Guarani roots; an example of this is the chamamé genre of music. Famous correntinos were independence hero General Don José de San Martín (born in 1778 in Yapeyú ) and Juan Bautista Cabral (born in Saladas ), who (according to popular legend) died for
7656-404: The farewell game of Lothar Matthäus . Maradona was himself given a testimonial match on 10 November 2001, played between an all-star World XI and the Argentina national team, scoring two penalty kicks in a 6–3 win at La Bombonera. Maradona made his full international debut at age 16, against Hungary , on 27 February 1977, only four months after his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors. He
7772-416: The field had a great effect on his team's general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition. In addition to his creative abilities, he possessed an eye for goal and was known to be a free kick specialist. A precocious talent, Maradona was given the nickname El Pibe de Oro ("The Golden Boy"), a name that stuck with him throughout his career. Maradona was the first player to set
7888-475: The final four matches, Maradona was the Serie A top scorer in the 1987–88 season with 15 goals, and was the all-time leading goalscorer for Napoli , with 115 goals, until his record was broken by Marek Hamšík in 2017. He was also the top scorer for that season's Coppa Italia, scoring six goals, despite being eliminated in the quarter-finals by Torino, with Maradona's two goals in the second leg not enough to prevent
8004-599: The general in the Battle of San Lorenzo . Tourist destinations in the Corrientes Province include the Iberá Wetlands and the Mburucuyá National Park . On 22 October 2004, Provincial Law No. 5598 (Decree 2326/2004) declared Guaraní to be an official language of Corrientes, alongside Spanish. It was the first Argentine province to officialize a language other than Spanish, followed in 2010 by Chaco . Corrientes
8120-621: The halftime breaks of Argentinos Juniors' first division games. During 1973 and 1974, Maradona led Cebollitas to two Evita Tournament wins and 141 undefeated games in a row, playing alongside players like Adrian Domenech and Claudio Rodríguez , in what is regarded as the best youth team in the history of Argentine football. Maradona named Brazilian playmaker Rivellino and Manchester United winger George Best among his inspirations growing up. On 20 October 1976, Maradona made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors , 10 days before his 16th birthday, versus Talleres de Córdoba . He entered to
8236-456: The impact of Maradona's performances in 1979, FIFA President Sepp Blatter stated, "Everyone has an opinion on Diego Armando Maradona, and that's been the case since his playing days. My most vivid recollection is of this incredibly gifted kid at the second FIFA U-20 World Cup in Japan in 1979. He left everyone open-mouthed every time he got on the ball." Maradona and his compatriot Lionel Messi are
8352-402: The key players of the campaign, scoring seven goals in ten matches, including a brace in the team's first group game against SPAL . The following season, the team's prolific attacking trio, formed by Maradona, Bruno Giordano , and Careca , was later dubbed the "Ma-Gi-Ca" ( magical ) front-line. Despite the team failing to defend their league title, losing out to AC Milan after a collapse in
8468-583: The languages (such as Vilela , Puelche , Tehuelche and Selknam ). There are also other communities of immigrants that speak their native languages, such as the Chinese language spoken by at least half of the over 60,000 Chinese immigrants (mostly in Buenos Aires ) and an Occitan-speaking community in Pigüé, Buenos Aires Province . Welsh is also spoken by over 35,000 people in the Chubut Province . This includes
8584-573: The largest Armenian diasporas in the world. Although Spanish is dominant, being the national language spoken by virtually all Argentines, at least 40 languages are spoken in Argentina. Languages spoken by at least 100,000 Argentines include Amerindian languages such as Southern Quechua , Guaraní and Mapudungun , and immigrant languages such as German , Italian, English, French or Levantine Arabic . Two native languages are extinct ( Abipón and Chané ), while some others are endangered , spoken by elderly people whose descendants do not speak
8700-556: The largest African immigrant communities, numbering over 15,000; they mainly live in port cities in Buenos Aires Province , such as Ensenada and Dock Sud . Immigration from Senegal, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Angola and other African countries in recent decades has caused a surge in the country's black population as well. Argentines of Asian ancestry are defined as either born within Argentina , or born elsewhere and later to become
8816-514: The largest Argentine community, followed by New Zealand . Corrientes Province Corrientes ( Spanish pronunciation: [koˈrjentes] , lit. ‘currents’ or ‘streams’; Guarani : Taragui ), officially the Province of Corrientes ( Spanish : Provincia de Corrientes ; Guarani : Taragui Tetãmini ) is a province in northeast Argentina , in the Mesopotamia region . It
8932-467: The length of the field, dribbling past five English outfield players ( Peter Beardsley , Steve Hodge , Peter Reid , Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick ) before he left goalkeeper Peter Shilton on his backside with a feint , and slotted the ball into the net. This goal was voted " Goal of the Century " in a 2002 online poll conducted by FIFA. A 2002 Channel 4 poll in the UK saw his performance ranked number 6 in
9048-484: The list of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments . Maradona followed this with two more goals in a semi-final match against Belgium at the Azteca, including another virtuoso dribbling display for the second goal. In the final match, West Germany attempted to contain him by double-marking him, but in the 84th minute he nevertheless found space past West German player Lothar Matthäus to give the final pass to Jorge Burruchaga for
9164-446: The match by Bilbao fans, and being provoked by Bilbao's Miguel Sola at full time after Barcelona lost 1–0, Maradona snapped. He aggressively got up, stood inches from Sola's face and the two exchanged words. This started a chain reaction of emotional reactions from both teams. Using expletives, Sola mimicked a gesture from the crowd towards Maradona by using a xenophobic term. Maradona then headbutted Sola, elbowed another Bilbao player in
9280-399: The most comprehensive genetic studies involving the population of Argentina, 441 Argentines from across the North East, North West, Southern, and Central provinces (especially the urban conglomeration of Buenos Aires) of the country, it was observed that the sample population comprised on average of 65% European, followed by 31% Amerindian, and finally 4% of African ancestry; however, this study
9396-410: The national average. Agriculture is still one of the main activities in the province, adding 15% to its output. It is centred in citrus , tobacco , rice , tea , cotton and yerba mate , exported internationally. The timber industry uses 1,400 km of pine and eucalyptus forests. Bovine cattle has problems standing the heat and the low quality of the grass specially in the north of
9512-702: The national census does not solicit religious data), the actual size of Argentina 's Muslim community is estimated to be around 1% of the total population (400,000 to 500,000 members), according to the International Religious Freedom Report in 2015. Buenos Aires hosts the largest mosque in Latin America . Buenos Aires also features notable Greek , Armenian and Russian Orthodox churches, Presbyterian Korean and Anglican churches, as well as Buddhist temples, among other minority religions. According to official estimates there are 600,000 Argentines worldwide, and according to estimates by
9628-414: The next round after extra time. During the first leg of the finals, Maradona scored from a penalty in a 2–1 home victory and later assisted Careca's match-winning goal, while in the second leg on 17 May—a 3–3 away draw—he assisted Ciro Ferrara 's goal with a header. Napoli would win their second league title in 1989–90 , and later won the 1990 Italian Supercup , beating rivals Juventus 5–1. When asked who
9744-426: The only ones he scored. In the 1977 season, Maradona played 49 matches and scored 19 goals, and started to get on the radar ofother South American clubs. In the 1978 season, Maradona scored 26 goals in 35 matches, and had the 1978 World Cup in his sights. However, when the squads were released on 19 May, he was not selected by coach Cesar Luis Menotti to the surprise of many. Two days after being left out, he scored
9860-598: The only players to win the Golden Ball at both the FIFA U-20 World Cup and FIFA World Cup . Maradona did so in 1979 and 1986 , which Messi emulated in 2005 and 2014 (and again in 2022 ). Maradona appeared at the 1979 Copa América , where Argentina had a poor performance, being knocked out in the first round. Maradona exited the tournament having scored once in a 3-0 victory against Bolivia. Maradona played his first World Cup tournament in 1982 in his new country of residence, Spain. Argentina played Belgium in
9976-565: The opening game of the 1982 Cup at the Camp Nou in Barcelona . Maradona did not perform to expectations, as Argentina, the defending champions, lost 1–0. Although the team convincingly beat both Hungary and El Salvador in Alicante to progress to the second round, there were internal tensions within the team, with the younger, less experienced players at odds with the older, more experienced players. With
10092-435: The past five centuries. Among countries in the world that have received the most immigrants in modern history, Argentina, with 6.6 million, ranks second to the United States (27 million), and ahead of other immigrant destinations such as Canada, Brazil and Australia. Argentina is a multiethnic society , which means that it is home to people of many different ethnic, racial, religious, and denominational backgrounds. Argentina
10208-403: The people identified with the country of Argentina . This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being Argentine . In the past the demonym for citizens of Argentina was mistakenly translated as Argentinians , a term that is no longer considered accurate. Argentina
10324-483: The pitch wearing the number 16 jersey, and became the youngest player in the history of the Argentine Primera División . A few minutes into his debut, Maradona kicked the ball through the legs of Juan Domingo Cabrera , a nutmeg that would become symbolic of his talent. After the game, Maradona said: "That day I felt I had held the sky in my hands." Thirty years later, Cabrera remembered Maradona's debut: "I
10440-463: The province's tobacco output. During most of this time, the Romero Ferises created one of Argentina's most bloated government payrolls (over 10% of total employment) and suppressed dissent and efforts at even modest land reform. Following contentious election results in 1991, however, public protest forced President Carlos Menem to remove Governor Raúl "Tato" Romero Feris from office and, though he
10556-523: The province. For that reason, the Brangus breed is the most common in the area. In the south, different breeds can be found. 70,000 km of the province's land are used for more than 4 million heads of cattle. Among Corrientes' productive (non-services) activities, tobacco and its processing earns 45% of the province's gross income, food and derivates, 30%, and textiles , 16%. On the Paraná River, near
10672-445: The quarter-finals, he commented: "Yes, it was Maradona's hand, and not God's, that was responsible for the first goal against England. But while the ' Hand of God ' goal remains one of the most contentious moments in World Cup history, there can be no disputing that his second goal against England ranks as the greatest ever scored in the tournament. It transcended mere sports – his goal was pure art." Argentines Argentines are
10788-414: The site for Yacyretá Dam following an agreement between President Juan Perón and Paraguayan President Alfredo Stroessner in 1974. Yacyretá, whose 20-year-long construction and US$ 11 billion cost far exceeded initial estimates, is one of the largest hydroelectric dams in the world. Currently, an agreement is being pursued with Paraguay which would allow reservoir expansion works that could double
10904-544: The star of the tournament, shining in Argentina's 3–1 final win over the Soviet Union , scoring a total of six goals in six appearances in the tournament. On 2 June 1979, Maradona scored his first senior international goal in a 3–1 win against Scotland at Hampden Park . He went on to play for Argentina in two 1979 Copa América ties during August 1979, a 2–1 loss against Brazil and a 3–0 win over Bolivia in which he scored his side's third goal. Speaking thirty years later on
11020-687: The start of the War of the Triple Alliance . In 1919 the National University of the Littoral was founded, which in 1956 became the National University of the Northeast . Corrientes is legendary in the world of philately for the postage stamps it issued from 1856 to 1880. These are among the very early or "classic" postage stamps of the world (the first, from Great Britain , were issued in 1840; those by
11136-611: The tournament came against Italy in the second group game in Puebla . Argentina eliminated Uruguay in the first knockout round in Puebla, setting up a match against England at the Azteca Stadium , also in Mexico City. After scoring two contrasting goals in the 2–1 quarter-final win against England, his legend was cemented. The majesty of his second goal and the notoriety of his first led to
11252-463: The truth, we decided to devote ourselves purely to him. Maradona's parents were both born and brought up in the town of Esquina in the north-east province of Corrientes on the banks of the Corriente River . In the 1950s, they left Esquina and settled in Buenos Aires. Maradona received his first football as a gift at age three and quickly became devoted to the game. At age eight, he was spotted by
11368-479: The value panel was erased; the different denominations thereafter being indicated by the color of the paper used. As locally produced " primitives ", the early Corrientes stamps have long been prized by collectors. After 1880, stamps of Argentina were used. For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, politics in Corrientes were dominated by the Romero Feris family, prominent local landowners who still control most of
11484-592: The west, a series of descending platforms go down to the Paraná River. The Iberá Wetlands , an area of lagoons and swamps , is a vast depression from volcanic flow, covered later with fluvial and eolic sediments. The climate is predominantly subtropical with no dry season. The mean annual temperature is 20 °C (68 °F) with monthly mean temperatures ranging from 14 °C (57 °F) in July to 26 °C (79 °F) in January. Temperatures are hot for most of
11600-473: The winning goal. Argentina beat West Germany 3–2 in front of 115,000 fans at the Azteca with Maradona lifting the World Cup as captain. During the tournament, Maradona attempted or created more than half of Argentina's shots, attempted a tournament-best 90 dribbles—three times more than any other player—and was fouled a record 53 times, winning his team twice as many free kicks as any player. Maradona scored or assisted ten of Argentina's 14 goals (71%), including
11716-479: The year while precipitation is abundant and evenly distributed throughout the year. There are four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. Winters are short although occasional incursions of cold, polar air from the south can produce frosts. In contrast, temperatures during summer can reach to 35 to 40 °C (95 to 104 °F). Mean annual precipitation ranges from 1,100 to 1,900 millimetres (43 to 75 in) which decreases from northeast to southwest. Autumn
11832-536: Was coach of Mexican club Dorados , and was the coach of Argentine Primera División club Gimnasia de La Plata from September 2019 until his death in 2020. He was ranked as the third best all time football player by FourFourTwo . Diego Armando Maradona was born on 30 October 1960, at the Policlínico (Polyclinic) Evita Hospital in Lanús , Buenos Aires Province , to a poor family that had moved from Corrientes Province ; he
11948-462: Was dominated by teams from the north and centre of the country, such as AC Milan , Juventus , Inter Milan and Roma , and no team in the south of the Italian Peninsula had ever won a league title. This was perhaps the perfect scenario for Maradona and his working-class-sympathetic image, as he joined a once-great team that was facing relegation at the end of the 1983–84 Serie A season, in what
12064-537: Was elected mayor of the province's capital in 1997, Romero Feris was ultimately indicted for embezzlement of public funds in 1999. He was sentenced to seven years in prison in May 2002. Corrientes had a significant impact in national politics in subsequent years. A UCR -led alliance defeated the Romero Feris machine in the 2001 governor's race, but the Corrientes UCR's continued support for President Néstor Kirchner led to
12180-469: Was fouled repeatedly in all five games and particularly in the last one against Brazil at the Sarrià, a game that was blighted by poor officiating and violent fouls. With Argentina already down 3–0 to Brazil, Maradona's temper eventually got the better of him and he was sent off with five minutes remaining for a serious retaliatory foul against Batista . Maradona captained the Argentine national team to victory in
12296-721: Was his last game in a Barcelona shirt. One Barcelona executive stated: "When I saw those scenes of Maradona fighting and the chaos that followed I realized we couldn't go any further with him." Maradona got into frequent disputes with Barcelona executives, particularly club president Josep Lluís Núñez , culminating with a demand to be transferred out of the Camp Nou in 1984. During his two injury-hit seasons at Barcelona, Maradona scored 38 goals in 58 games. Maradona transferred to Napoli in Italy's Serie A for another world record fee, £6.9 million ($ 10.48 million). Maradona arrived in Naples and
12412-481: Was left off the Argentine squad for the 1978 World Cup on home soil by coach César Luis Menotti who felt he was too young at age 17. On 3 November 1978, just a few days after turning 18, Maradona played for the U20 Argentina team in a friendly match against Franz Beckenbauer 's New York Cosmos , scoring twice in a 2–1 win. At age 18, Maradona played the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship in Japan and emerged as
12528-425: Was of Italian and Croatian descent. When Diego came to Argentinos Juniors for trials, I was really struck by his talent and couldn't believe he was only eight years old. In fact, we asked him for his ID card so we could check it, but he told us he didn't have it on him. We were sure he was having us on because, although he had the physique of a child, he played like an adult. When we discovered he'd been telling us
12644-432: Was on the right side of the field and went to press him, but he didn't give me a chance. He made the nutmeg and when I turned around, he was far away from me." Maradona scored his first goal as a professional against Marplatense team San Lorenzo on 14 November 1976, two weeks after turning 16, and added another goal in the match as well. Maradona made 11 appearances that season, with the two goals scored on his debut being
12760-464: Was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award, alongside Pelé . An advanced playmaker who operated in the classic number 10 position , Maradona's vision, passing, ball control, and dribbling skills were combined with his small stature, which gave him a low centre of gravity and allowed him to manoeuvre better than most other players. His presence and leadership on
12876-520: Was presented to the world media as a Napoli player on 5 July 1984, where he was welcomed by 75,000 fans at his presentation at the Stadio San Paolo . Sports writer David Goldblatt commented, "They [the fans] were convinced that the saviour had arrived." A local newspaper stated that despite the lack of a "mayor, houses, schools, buses, employment and sanitation, none of this matters because we have Maradona". Prior to Maradona's arrival, Italian football
12992-535: Was raised in Villa Fiorito , a shantytown on the southern outskirts of Buenos Aires , Argentina. He was the first son after four daughters. He has two younger brothers, Hugo ( el Turco ) and Raúl (Lalo), both of whom were also professional football players. His father Diego Maradona "Chitoro" (1927–2015), who worked at a chemicals factory, was of Guaraní (Indigenous) and Galician ( Spanish ) descent, and his mother Dalma Salvadora Franco, "Doña Tota" (1930–2011),
13108-450: Was the toughest and most highly regarded football league in Europe. At Napoli, Maradona reached the peak of his professional career: he soon inherited the captain 's armband from Napoli veteran defender Giuseppe Bruscolotti and quickly became an adored star among the club's fans; in his time there he elevated the team to the most successful era in its history. Maradona played for Napoli at a period when north–south tensions in Italy were at
13224-416: Was the toughest player he ever faced, AC Milan central defender Franco Baresi stated it was Maradona, a view shared by his Milan teammate Paolo Maldini . Although Maradona was successful on the field during his time in Italy, his personal problems increased. His cocaine use continued, and he received US$ 70,000 in fines from his club for missing games and practices, ostensibly because of "stress". He faced
13340-455: Was turned upside down. The Neapolitans held mock funerals for Juventus and Milan, burning their coffins, their death notices announcing 'May 1987, the other Italy has been defeated. A new empire is born.'" Murals of Maradona were painted on the city's ancient buildings, and newborn children were named in his honour. Napoli completed a double that year, when they won the 1987 Coppa Italia final on aggregate against Atalanta. Maradona had been one of
13456-407: Was unweighted and meant to be a representation of the diversity of Argentine DNA rather than a demonstration of the average ethnic composition of the country. It was also found there were great differences in the ancestry amongst Argentines as one traveled across the country. A study by Daniel Corach that attempted to find the average Argentine ancestry by weighing the population of various regions gave
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