March 9, 2025

There is not much to see in Puerto Madryn. Although we left the ship early with the sun still rising, we were only met with two statues on the small beach boardwalk (did not know what they represented) and a vendor who had us take a photo with a wooden whale (did not know what that represented either.)

There was, however, a large mural of Diego Maradona, the great Argentine football player dominating the Puerto Madryn landscape. How great was Maradona? Perhaps the greatest of all time. When the international football federation FIFA organized an online poll in 2000 with the world’s football fans about who has been the best footballer of the 20th century, Maradona placed first! But Maradona was born in Buenos Aires, so why the large mural in Puerto Maradona?

The 1980’s was a bad decade for Argentina and Great Britian relationships. Really bad. And to some degree both countries continue to hold a grudge from that era.

If you talk to most Argentinians, they will highlight the Falklands War which left Argentina with crushing inflation and 40 billion dollars in debt as a tragic event in Argentina/Great Britian history.

Most Brits will talk of another tragic event.

The date was June 22, 1986, four years after the 74-day Falkland Islands War. It was the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup, and this was the chance to settle old scores. This was much more than a football match. This was about national pride. 114,000 fans packed the Mexico City stadium on a sweltering midafternoon match. The score at half time: Argentina 0 – Great Britian 0.

The second half became one of the most talked about in football history.

Just 6 minutes after the second half started the 6’1″ British goalkeeper and 5’5″ Maradona battled for a tipped ball. The taller player almost always has the advantage in these situations. Instead of heading the ball Maradona used his left hand to punch the ball into the net. The referee hadn’t seen the hand and allowed the goal. Argentina defeated Great Britian 2-1. Argentina went on to take the World Cup!

When Maradona was interviewed after the game and asked how Argentina had won, he replied to the pleasure of all Argentine fans: “A little help with the head of Maradona, and a little help from the hand of God.”

This goal has gone down in football history as “the hand of God goal.”

So why does Maradona’s mural hang in Puerto Madryn?

Puerto Madryn was the port to which Argentine prisoners of war captured in the Falklands during the war were repatriated. Maradona’s mural serves as a reminder that Argentina secured their revenge against Great Britain in the 1986 World Cup victory.

And to show you how important that victory was for Argentina, in 2022, the ball from that game sold at auction for 2.2 million dollars. And Maradona’s shirt sold for 9.3 million dollars, the most expensive ever sold!

Argentina has won the FICA World cup three times:

1978-on their home turf of Buenos Aires defeating the Netherlands 3-1 in extra time.

1986-The hand of God victory beating Great Britian 2-1.

2022-After 36 years of waiting Argentina won the World Cup again defeating France in penalties 4-2. Some say this was the greatest football game ever played! This victory was led by the brilliant play of Lionel Messi, cementing his reputation in football immortality.

Thanks for traveling with us.