In December 2000, a ceremony was held to declare the FIFA Player of the Century, the one footballer who had enjoyed such a stellar career, that they would win an award for being the best within 100 years. Two players were named as joint-winners, with one being Brazilian icon Pele and the other being Diego Maradona.
One of the best players in football history, Maradona began his career with Argentinos Juniors in 1976. The diminutive playmaker spent five years there before moving to Boca Juniors in 1981, though Maradona would play at La Bombonera for just one season before, in 1982, Barcelona broke the world transfer record to sign him.
Maradona showed glimpses of his ability with Barcelona, but was unsettled slightly due to injuries and issues away from the pitch, the latter being something that would follow Maradona throughout his entire career. The Argentinian became the first player to set two world record transfer fees when, in 1984, he moved from Barca to Napoli.
It was in Naples that Maradona finally found a home. The number 10 spent seven years with Napoli, guiding them to two Serie A titles, which were the first in the club’s history. His time at the club ended in 1991, due to a suspension, and Maradona would play for Sevilla, Newell’s Old Boys and Boca Juniors once again before retiring in 1997.
Diego Maradona European Career Stats
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Be it as teammates or as opponents, domestically or internationally, Maradona shared the pitch with some incredible talents, as would be expected for a player of the Argentinian’s calibre. Back in 2019, just a year before Maradona sadly died, he made a post on Instagram, via Football Scotland, that gave nothing but praise to a fellow great that he once faced on international duty.
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‘A Phenomenon’
Maradona held Scottish legend in high regard
Maradona’s post on social media looked back on his first-ever goal for Argentina, which came in 1979 against Scotland as part of a tour that Maradona’s country did after the 1978 World Cup. At the time, the star of Scotland’s international side was none other than Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, who caught the attention of Maradona in the match.
In his post, Maradona said:
“Yesterday marked 40 years since my first goal in the Argentina jersey. It came against Scotland, in an international tour the national team did after the World Cup in 1978. They had an amazing team, they came from beating Holland 3-2 at the World Cup.
“The captain was Kenny Dalglish, a phenomenon. We won 3-1, with two goals from (Leopoldo) Luque and one from me. I faked to play in a pass and I put a ball between the post and the keeper (George) Wood. I changed jerseys with (Arthur) Graham, the number 11, who made the exchange.
“At the end of the game, the Scotland players gave us a guard of honour to say goodbye to us with applause. I’d never been away for so long from my family.”
Despite being almost a decade older than Maradona, Dalglish was in a similar position to the Argentine when they faced each other, in that both of their careers were about to reach unprecedented levels. Maradona was just three years away from moving to Europe, while Dalglish was just two years into his 13-year stint as a Liverpool player.
With the Reds, be it as a player or as player-manager between 1985 and 1990, Dalglish won a number of honours, most of which came in the 1980s. The Scot won eight league titles and three European Cups at Anfield in one of Liverpool’s best-ever eras as a club and such was his ability, that someone of Maradona’s ilk found him impossible to forget, despite what he would achieve.
( All stats are fromTransfermarktand are correct as of 14/09/2025 )
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