Late football legend Diego Maradona was also a pretty great singer. Just listen.

27 November 2020, 14:01

‘And all the people sang… Maradò, Maradò…’

Diego Maradona, Argentine striker and South American icon, died of a heart attack on Wednesday, aged 60. He will be remembered as a football legend and national hero of Argentina.

But he also made his mark on the music world.

Maradona was a beautiful storyteller, who had an incredible power over a crowd, whether on stage or on the pitch.

In the video below, Maradona sings the 1943 tango ‘El Sueño Del Pibe’ which mentions the names of great Argentine footballers Baldonedo, Martino and Boyé. In his performance, Maradona swaps in his own name.

Read more: Diego Maradona laid to rest in private ceremony in Buenos Aires >

Diego Armando Maradona - El Sueño Del Pibe

He loved to sing old Spanish and Italian classics, after playing for Naples for seven years. The city has now said it will rename its San Paolo home stadium in memory of the club legend.

Musician Charles Antony, the first Indian to sing a Spanish song ‘Besame Mucho’ with the great footballer in a live concert, told the Times of India: “We all know him as the best footballer. But he was a blessed singer too.

“He sang beautifully. He hit the right pitch and was always in sync.”

Another video, below, shows Maradona singing ‘La mano de Dios’ (The Hand of God), a song written in his honour by Argentinian singer Rodrigo.

It refers to the now-legendary incident when Maradona scored what should have been a disallowed goal, during the Argentina v England quarter finals match of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. When asked afterwards, Maradona said the goal was scored “with the hand of God”.

The song ‘La mano de Dios’ was written for the documentary on the footballer’s life, Maradona by Kusturica. It tells of the glory he brought to Argentina, and the joy he sowed in communities.

Rest in peace, Diego Maradona – footballer, and musician at heart.