Diego Maradona's Heart Asked to Be Brought to World Cup 2022 in Qatar to Accompany Lionel Messi, Argentina Squad

A group of Diego Maradona fans wants the heart of Argentina's football icon to be brought to the World Cup 2022 in Qatar to accompany Lionel Messi and company.

According to Infobae, Bombay, a creative advertising agency based in Mexico, U.S., and Argentina, and SDO, producer and agency of regional PR and digital, were the driving forces behind this initiative that proposes the presence of Maradona's heart "from November in Qatar."

Javier Mentasti and Manuel Vega, managers of Bombay, believe that if Maradona is still alive, he would be present at the World Cup to support and encourage Argentinian soccer player Lionel Messi and company.

"We want to fulfill what we feel would be his desire, we want the heart of Maradona to travel with the national team to Qatar. That he accompanies the team on the way to Ezeiza, to travel with them, to be in the concentration, in a room, in the mic, in the locker room, on the court and if God and Diego want, seven games later, next to the long-awaited cup. It is our dream, and we want it to be everyone's dream from today on," they said in a statement.

The promoters noted that there were "many followers" of this initiative. One of them is Cesar Perez, the owner of the "La Casa de D10s." The said building is where Maradona lived and is now converted into a museum.

"We identify with this initiative and support it because nothing better than Diego's heart travels to Qatar, so that both he and the players and football lovers feel close to him in some way," Perez said as reported by Infobae.

According to reports, Qatar will likely be Lionel Messi's last World Cup as he turns 35 in June. The next World Cup will take place in the summer of 2026, and Messi will be almost 40 years old at the time.

Lionel Messi is seen as the heir to Maradona's glories at the national team level. According to Periodico AM, Maradona's organ that pumped blood to "Pelusa" is currently in possession of the Department of Pathological Anatomy that belongs to the Buenos Aires Police and is being preserved using formaldehyde.

Diego Armando Maradona became a football legend when he won the 1986 World Cup in Mexico with Argentina's national team, Albiceleste, against West Germany.

Some Fans Wanted to Steal Diego Maradona's Heart

A top doctor, who also works as a journalist, said that Diego Maradona was buried without his heart to prevent fans from stealing it, Daily Mail reported.

In November last year, Nelson Castro noted that the Argentine football icon was buried next to his parents at the Jardin de Bella Vista cemetery in Bella Vista, Buenos Aires, and his body was placed in the grave without his heart.

Castro, the author of the book "Diego's Health," said Maradona's heart was so sick that it was amazing he had lived so long.

As an expert in heart disease, Castro noted that Maradona had a strong body compared to other people who would have died with the same kind of heart.

According to MARCA, Maradona's heart was extracted on the same day he died, with an autopsy being conducted to get more information about the cause of the football icon's death.

However, there was also a report that a group of football hooligans from the Gimnasia football club was planning to "break in" and steal Maradona's heart.

The fans reportedly wanted to keep the heart as a trophy. However, the officials were alerted, so Maradona was buried without a heart.

Police learned that the alleged perpetrators had already decided where to enter the mausoleum and how to exit without being caught.

Death of Argentina's Football Icon, Diego Armando Maradona

According to France 24, Diego Maradona died of a heart attack on November 25, 2020 at the age of 60.

The public prosecutor in San Isidro, Buenos Aires said the World Cup-winning captain from Mexico '86 suffered from liver, kidney, and cardiovascular disorders, but there were no signs of alcohol or narcotics consumption in his autopsy.

Before he died, Maradona was reportedly suffering from various illnesses, including cirrhosis, heart disease, and kidney failure.

An initial autopsy conducted the day he died found he had suffered from liquid on the lungs with acute heart failure due to a disease of the heart muscles that makes it harder to pump blood. His heart was reported twice the normal weight.

At the time of his death, Diego Maradona was the coach of Argentine Primera Division side Gimnasia. The Argentine football icon was widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time.

However, Maradona has also battled with cocaine and alcohol addictions during his life.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

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