It’s been five years since football legend Diego Maradona passed away, a moment eternally seared in every Argentine’s memory. Maradona, El Diego, Pelusa, El Diez — he represented something for people of all ages. A national tragedy of sorts that united friends and rivals across the Argentine footballing spectrum. 

Those over 40 viewed him as a magician with the ball, the man behind the win in the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, and a symbol of the country’s sporting prowess. For the younger generation that only saw footage of him play, he was a fountain of popular wisdom and the measuring stick for every upcoming star that came along. As an idol, he gifted every fan who met him with moments of extraordinary kindness and joy.

Despite the fact that the trial over Maradona’s death is currently in limbo, his place in popular memory is alive and well. And in no other place is that more on display than in Buenos Aires. From the first home we owned to an iconic corner to a gigantic mural, here are some of the places you can visit to soak in the Maradona experience. 

The intersection of these two otherwise unassuming Buenos Aires streets is perhaps the most well-known of all the city’s Maradona geographic references. It all started with an invitation to a fight.

The year was 1995. Diego Maradona had just made his return to Argentine football to play for Boca Juniors after leaving the country 13 years before to go play for FC Barcelona — in exchange for a then world record figure. At 35, El Pelusa........

© Buenos Aires Herald