Even the most casual of soccer fans knows who Diego Maradona is and has seen the famous “Goal of the Century,” in which El Diego dribbles past the entire England team to win a World Cup quarter-final. But what if I told you that goal isn’t really a good representation of Maradona’s talents? What if I told you he was actually better than video of that goal suggests, and I have the evidence to prove it?
With the goal against England, not one of the defenders really gets close enough to Maradona to make a proper tackle. He’s too quick and too clever for them to even try and stop him. In the above video, which collects individual moments of dastardly, dribbly brilliance form throughout Maradona’s career, you get to see his full range of tricks.
Click play above and you’ll see Maradona in action for Argentina, Boca Juniors, Barcelona and Napoli. You’ll see him outmuscle bigger men who try to push him off the ball. You’ll see turning circles so tight you’re not sure how he just did that and moments of acceleration that will make you suspect El Diego temporarily stopped time. You’ll see him beat defenders who are certain they’ve got him this time. You’ll see through balls that didn’t look possible and tricks that you could never hope replicate even if you practiced for the rest of your life. Enjoy.