People: Jul. 14, 1986

He accounted for all his team's goals in the quarter- and semi-finals, but Diego Armando Maradona, 25, won soccer's World Cup for Argentina last week by not scoring a single point. Throughout the final match against West Germany before a Mexico City crowd of nearly 115,000, the short, burly superstar with the pumping-piston legs played the decoy, drawing suffocating attention from as many as three defenders whenever he got the ball. A foul against him led to the first score, and with only six minutes remaining in the game, Maradona angled a perfect pass to Midfielder Jorge Burruchaga, who made a...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!