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‘Diego Maradona’ Review: A Soccer Player Who Got His Kicks

HBO Sports

You don’t need to know much about soccer to get caught up in “Diego Maradona,” a propulsive archival documentary on the celebrated and infamous Argentine footballer. In the film, a sports journalist, Daniel Arcucci, says Maradona’s notoriety can be understood by comparing two goals he scored in a single 1986 match, when Argentina faced England in the World Cup quarterfinals. (In some eyes, the pairing accorded Argentina an opportunity to avenge its loss in the 1982 Falklands War.)

In that game, Maradona scored twice — once by (accidentally, he has said) knocking the ball into the goal with his hand, a violation that he was never called on, and once after a thrilling display of athleticism.