The duality in Diego Maradona’s outsized life was perhaps laid out clearest within his most famous game. In the quarterfinal at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, against Argentina’s hated rivals England, just four years after they fought the brief Falklands War, Maradona set up an attack that appeared to be going nowhere. But England midfielder Steve Hodge clumsily shanked the ball back between Maradona and English goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
Maradona, standing a stocky 5-foot-5, somehow dinked the ball over the 6-foot Shilton, who was permitted to use his hands, to give the Argentines the lead.
Replays showed that Maradona had used his fist to punch the ball into the net.