Football legend Diego Maradona dies at 60

Fallen legend: Argentine soccer maestro Diego Maradona has died at the age of 60.  [Reuters]

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona is dead.

According to reports in Argentina, the 60-year-old died after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Maradona was admitted to hospital on Tuesday, November 3, and underwent successful surgery to treat a subdural hematoma, a blood clot on the brain.

The operation was to address the clot which is often caused by a head injury resulting in increased pressure on the brain.

“I was able to evacuate the hematoma successfully and Diego tolerated the surgery very well. The steps now are observation, but it is controlled. It will depend on how he does. It is not highly complex, but it is still brain surgery,” Leopoldo Luque, Maradona’s neurosurgeon and personal physician, told reporters outside the clinic where dozens of fans gathered.

“Luque added, saying the procedure had taken around 80 minutes.

The Hand of God. Another truly iconic image in World Cup history here, as Diego Maradona beats Peter Shilton to the ball and punches it into the net to give Argentina the lead against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup. Maradona scored a quite magnificent second goal soon after, as Argentina claimed a 2-1 win [COURTESY]

Maradona was admitted to the Ipensa Clinic in La Plata, Argentina, for anaemia and dehydration before being transferred to Olivos Clinic in Buenos Aires province.

Maradona won the World Cup with Argentina in 1986. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time and currently coaches local club Gimnasia y Esgrima. He last appeared in public on his 60th birthday last Friday before his side’s league match against Patronato.