Soccer is the most popular sport in the world, and the most popular soccer player in Argentina is Diego Maradona, star of that country's national team and a professional who has led his team to championships in Argentina, Italy, and Spain. In the 1986 World Cup tournament, won by Argentina, Maradona gave what was perhaps the greatest performance in World Cup history. A national hero in Argentina, Maradona has also earned a reputation for being outspoken and controversial.

Diego Armando Maradona was born October 30, 1960, in Lanus, Argentina, a suburb of the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. He was one of eight children and raised in the poor area of Villa Fiorito, one of the roughest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. His father, also named Diego, was a factory worker and his mom, Dalma Franco, was a housewife. Though the family was poor, there was always food on the table. His...