Argentina's Diego Maradona, left, beats England's goalkeeper Peter Shilton to a high ball and scores his first of two goals at the World Cup quarter-final match in Mexico City, 1986. Photo / AP
Argentina's Diego Maradona, left, beats England's goalkeeper Peter Shilton to a high ball and scores his first of two goals at the World Cup quarter-final match in Mexico City, 1986. Photo / AP
England great Gary Lineker has led the tributes for football legend Diego Maradona but it's led to some social media backlash.
Maradona died today aged 60, two weeks after being released from a Buenos Aires hospital following brain surgery.
The office of Argentina's president will decree three days of nationalmourning because of Maradona's death, and the Argentine football association expressed its sorrow on Twitter.
Maradona had a tarnished reputation England after his 'Hand of God' goal gave Argentina a 1-0 lead over England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final. Argentina eventually won the game 2-1 before securing their second title with victory over West Germany in the final.
Lineker, who scored for England in that quarter-final defeat, paid tribute to Maradona while also getting in a dig about the controversial goal.
"Reports from Argentina that Diego Armando Maradona has died. By some distance the best player of my generation and arguably the greatest of all time. After a blessed but troubled life, hopefully he'll finally find some comfort in the hands of God,' he Tweeted.
Reports from Argentina that Diego Armando Maradona has died. By some distance the best player of my generation and arguably the greatest of all time. After a blessed but troubled life, hopefully he’ll finally find some comfort in the hands of God. #RipDiego
Reports from Argentina that Diego Armando Maradona has died. By some distance the best player of my generation and arguably the greatest of all time. After a blessed but troubled life, hopefully he’ll finally find some comfort in the hands of God. #RipDiego
Hoje despeço-me de um amigo e o Mundo despede-se de um génio eterno. Um dos melhores de todos os tempos. Um mágico inigualável. Parte demasiado cedo, mas deixa um legado sem limites e um vazio que jamais será preenchido. Descansa em paz, craque. Nunca serás esquecido.🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/WTS21uxmdL
Diego Maradona RIP. Sports Greatest Rebel. A man whose career was built on brilliance, blurred boundaries, and spectacular overindulgence. Few have used a World Cup to enthrall the planet and self-destruct in equal measure. We will never see his like again 🇦🇷 🙏 pic.twitter.com/JDSilhZkJo
My 1st football hero. Few people have impact over generations like this man did. The greatest, the best, the artist, the man...charismatic, a leader...A WINNER! One of the main reasons why I went out on my estate to kick a ball, pretending to be Diego. RIP Diego Armando Maradona pic.twitter.com/67sjmdkgFT
