Gary Lineker & Jürgen Klinsmann React to Diego Maradona's 'The Goal of the Century'

There is absolutely no way any living human could foresee exactly where the ball would bubble on the uneven pitch. The technical skills Maradona had was simply beyond what ever had been seen before or since. Nobody could run that fluintly with that pace on uneven surface like that and yet having the ball stuck on his feet. Simply impossible. The initial dribble combination when slips past 3 players in one fluint movement is something you can’t train specifically for. The exact same situation probably never appeared before or since. To string those movements together without hesitation, with no pause or indesiveness is pure magic. Doing a la croqueta or any other specific dribble is on the other hand something you can train and train and train over and over againto perfection. Michael Laudrup did that to perfection. But what Maradona constantly did was to string dribbles, even never heard of before dribbles into fluint combos only working in specific situations. Going on from there, he ‘passes’/chips the ball to himself to alude any imperfections on the pitch and the balls lies dead flat on pitch with millimeters precision right in the center between the next 2-3 defenders he is taking on. That allows him to pick up speed and accelerate into the final run against the goal. To dribble it the rest of the way the english goal is pure routine for Maradona despite the before mentioned pitch uneveness and random bubbling of the ball. The goal is not only the best WC goal ever scored. It is in fact the best ever scored in any match throughout history by the best player troughout history.

I was a little boy when i watched this goal and now im a middle aged man it still gives me the same emotions, it was the first time i felt Football crossed over to Art

Maradona denied the claim from his teammates but it was true - he really did win that WC singlehandedly. Masterful.

The beauty of this goal was that in 86 you didn't have but few opportunities to see games on TV. There was no YouTube replay, cable had just started out. This was amazing to watch and see unhuman things being done with the ball. Pure magic to see live in tv.

Take away the distance, the composure, the speed of the run etc. Just look at each and every touch he has on the ball. He's in COMPLETE control. It's pure genius, a gift from the heavens above.

Greatest goal in the history of football

Watched it live when i was 9, still gives me shivers.

Gary nailed it: "I think this is the greatest goal that has ever been scored!" I am having hard time believing someone should out do that. EVER! THAT goal is going to stand next to the pyramids some 5000 years from now. Well, It is unmatched for sure.

Maradona is the greatest artist in Football and he had amgic of his own

I was 15yo watching this live on TV and till this day it's the greatest goal ever in a World Cup

Seeing you Diego, I can't stop for cry and cry...

I counted 7 players that he went by before he gets to the keeper and scores. I can still see this play very vividly. I was watching it with my dad. It was a few minutes after the hand of goal. I remember my dad and I being just stunned and him saying “with that guy inspired like that there is no way they will not become world champions this year” … prophetic.

Maradona is absolutely GOAT

It’s so strange how similar messi and maradona are, both small Argentinians with mythical talent and a godly left foot, and both scoring this goal. Of course maradonas was against a better team under better circumstances but both dribbling past players from the half way line, rounding the keeper and finishing it off. It’s like a spirit from Argentina enters someone every generation and creates a godly footballing figure. Beautiful.

My favourite mara dona miss you 😢 from Bangladesh 🇧🇩

Two greats watching the greatest.

Watched El Pide de Oro on television score the goal in 1986 and I am still watching today 36 years later....

Watched this goal live on TV. It was joy to watch this special goal. Was not aware at that time that this will be considered as the goal of the century.

This is not just football. This is a monument to art.

My 3 favourite Diego's moments are 1) this goal of century, 2)goal v Belgium and 3) his assist v Brasil in 1990