Timeline: Football legend Diego Maradona dead at 60

Diego Maradone is dead. He was 60. Cristiano Ronaldo hailed an "unparalleled magician" whom he could call "friend" while arch rival Lionel Messi remembered an icon with an "eternal appeal" as the two modern day geniuses joined the world in mourning Diego Maradona's untimely death on Wednesday.

Diego Maradona, considered the greatest footballer of all time alongside Brazil's Pele, died following a cardiac arrest, two weeks after undergoing a surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain.

Here is a timeline of football legend Diego Armando Maradona of Argentina. A World Cup winner, he passed away on Wednesday, aged 60, in Tigre, Buenos Aires.

Timeline:

1960 Born on October 30, in Lanús, Argentina

1970 Joins Los Cebollitas youth team

1971 Scouted age 11 for the junior team of Argentinos Juniors

1976 Turns professional, makes his pro debut aged 15, joins Argentinos Juniors

1977 Makes his full international debut for Argentina, aged 16

1978 Becomes youngest player ever to be picked by Argentine national team

1979 Scores his first international goal, and wins the junior World Cup

1980 Signs with Barcelona of the Spanish League

1981 Transferred to Boca Juniors for $1.96 million

1982 Plays his first World Cup for Argentina and scores twice. Is sent off in the game against Brazil. Same year, transferred to Barcelona FC for $9.81 million, a world record at the time

1983 Helps Barcelona win the Spanish Cup

1984 Is transferred from Barcelona to Serie A Napoli for $13.54 million, another record

1986 Wins World Cup as Argentina captain. Scores two goals against England, including the infamous `Hand of God` goal and another after dribbling past six players ?- this was voted `Goal of the Century` in a FIFA poll in 2002

1987 Helps Napoli to their maiden Italian title

1989 Gets married to Claudia Villafane

1990 Faces a paternity suit after defeat to West Germany in the World Cup final

1991 Fails a drug test, and handed a 15-month suspension after testing positive for cocaine. Leaves Italy

1992 Stages a comeback at Sevilla in Spanish League

1993 Returns to Argentina, joins Newell`s Old Boys, after disagreement with Sevilla

1994 Tests positive for ephedrine and is sent back home from World Cup in America

1995 Plays final season for Boca Juniors

1996 Checks into a clinic for drug addiction

1997 Announces retirement from professional soccer, aged 37, following another failed drugs test

2000 Autobiography `Yo Soy El Diego` becomes bestseller. Goes to Cuba for two years. Complains of heart problems, collapses

2002 Relocates to Cuba to battle drug addiction issue

2004 Admitted to a hospital after he collapses again

2005 Interviews Pele as his first guest on his talk show

2008 Appointed head coach of Argentina national team; he performed this role for 18 months, until 2010 World Cup. Visits India and opens Indian Football School in Kolkata

2013 Joins Argentine Primera D club Deportivo Riestra as `spiritual coach`

2017 Visits India again, plays in Kolkata

2018 Maradona attends Argentina`s 2018 WC match against Nigeria, has a health scare at the end of it

2019 Becomes head coach of Argentine club Gimnasia de La Plata

2020 Leaves Olivos clinic in Buenos Aires after surgery for blood clot in brain; dies on November 25

The story has been taken from a news agency