Maradona: Why English can't let go of Hand of God & Latin Americans love it

The inability of a few in England to move on from that goal speaks to the historical processes that underpin Britain's relationship with Latin America

The death of the greatest player in the history of the game of Association Football, Diego Armando Maradona, on November 25 produced an outpouring of grief and nostalgia around the world. He was such an important figure in his native Argentina that the president declared three days of mourning.

In England, though many have praised his skill and achievements, his death has provided the opportunity to dig up the old humbug about the Hand of God goal at the 1986 World Cup, which involved Maradona’s fist essentially knocking the ball into England’s