Dalma Maradona – daughter of late Argentine football icon Diego – was overcome with emotion as Boca Juniors players paid tribute to her father during their game against Newell’s Old Boys on Sunday.
Sitting in her father’s box at the famous Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires, a venue her father graced during two spells at either end of his career, the 33-year-old Dalma broke down in tears when Boca players went to the touchline in front of her and laid down a Maradona shirt while applauding her after Edwin Cardona had struck a free-kick to open the scoring in their 2-0 win.
The raw emotion of Dalma Maradona, Diego’s daughter, upon receiving an ovation from Boca Juniors after scoring the game’s opening goal. ???pic.twitter.com/i7ScvTQcAh
Sunday’s Primera Division match in the Argentine capital featured two of World Cup winner Maradona’s former clubs, and both paid tribute to the national icon before the game by wearing shirts emblazoned with his image. Once the action started, all the players had ‘Maradona’ written on the back of their shirts in place of where their own names would normally be.
The heartfelt scenes were reflected around the world as football paid tribute over the weekend to Maradona, who died of heart failure at the age of 60 at his home just outside Buenos Aires on November 25.
In Spain, Lionel Messi celebrated scoring in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Osasuna by taking off his shirt to reveal a Newell’s Old Boys jersey with number 10 on underneath, while pointing upwards to the sky.
At Napoli, the club where Maradona won two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup to ascend to god-like status, players wore a specially commissioned Argentina-style kit for their game against Roma on Sunday, which they won 4-0. The club has also signaled it will change the name of its stadium to honor Maradona.
Away from the tributes, there were concerning scenes on Sunday when the home and clinic of Maradona’s personal physician, Leopoldo Luque, were raided as investigators look into possible negligence in the football icon’s death.
Maradona was recovering at home from brain surgery when he suffered a heart attack.
Dalma, one of the late star’s three daughters, is said to have raised concerns alongside her sibling Giannina over her father’s treatment at the time of his passing.
