Rise and fall of a football genius

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Diego Maradona was the best football player since Brazilian legend Pele, and arguably an even greater talent.

Yet the highlights of the Argentine's brilliant playing career -- which ended in disarray and drug addiction -- have already been overshadowed by his tragic decline.

Since 2000, when he suffered a huge heart attack at a Uruguayan beach resort as a result of a cocaine overdose, the 44-year-old has been in poor health.

After moving to Cuba for treatment for his drug addiction as a guest of Fidel Castro, Maradona had become a bloated caricature of the diminutive genius who single-handedly carried his country to World Cup glory in Mexico in 1986.

He suffered another major health scare in April 2004 when he was twice admitted to hospital in Buenos Aires with heart and lung problems, spending time on an artificial respirator and later being confined to a psychiatric hospital by his family.

In March 2005 Maradona underwent surgery in Cartagena, Colombia, having his stomach stapled in an effort to lose weight. The 1.67-meter (5-foot 6-inch) star had ballooned to 121 kgs (267 lbs).

In the defining match of Argentina's victorious 1986 campaign -- and his career -- Maradona scored twice in Argentina's 2-1 quarterfinal win over England.

The goals couldn't have been more different. For the first, Maradona punched the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, later declaring that the goal had been a little bit the head of Maradona and a little bit "the hand of God."

Seconds later, with England players still protesting to the referee, Maradona picked up the ball in his own half and ran through the England defense to score what is often cited as the best individual goal in the history of football.

Picking the pocket

Afterwards, Maradona claimed he had prefered the first goal, saying it had been like "picking the pocket of the English."

Argentina continued to the final where they beat West Germany 3-2. As captain, Maradona lifted the trophy -- the crowning glory for a player who dominated the World Cup like no other player, before or since.

But Maradona's relationship with the World Cup was not always so heroic.

As a 17-year-old, he was painfully left out of the 1978 squad that won on home soil, and when he finally made his tournament debut in Spain four years later he was sent off in disgrace for a wild lunge during Argentina's defeat by Brazil in the second round.

In 1990, Argentina returned to the final but few could feel sympathy for the tearful Maradona after his side's 1-0 defeat by West Germany. The attacking flair of 1986 had been replaced by a brutal cynicism and Maradona, slowed by injury, couldn't recapture the magic of Mexico.

The following year, Maradona tested positive for cocaine and his playing career never recovered after a 15-month ban.

At the 1994 World Cup in the United States Maradona scored against Greece in Argentina's opening game and ran screaming at a television camera in celebration.

But the surreal moment proved to be his World Cup epitaph. After failing another dope test, this time for the performance-enhancing drug ephedrine, he was humiliatingly kicked out of the tournament.

At club level, Maradona's best achievements came in the late 1980s with Napoli, the struggling southern Italian club that he carried to two Italian championships, the Italian Cup and the UEFA Cup.

Despite success and adoration on the pitch, Maradona struggled to adapt to a life of wealth and fame.

Born in 1960 as one of eight children raised in the slums of Buenos Aires, Maradona was already a national star when he first played professional football at the age of 15.

After arriving at Barcelona in 1982 for a world record $3 million with an entourage of hangers-on, he developed a taste for nightclubs and spent most of his two years in a Spain struggling with injuries.

At Napoli, Maradona's off-the-pitch lifestyle was tolerated due to his success on the field, while he was also photographed with local mafia bosses.

Having frequently clashed with football authorities throughout his career, Maradona as a role model has always compared unfavorably with Pele who has become an ambassador for Brazil and football since the end of his playing career in the 1970s.

Yet despite his fall from grace Maradona has retained the affections of football fans -- especially in Argentina and Italy.

In a FIFA poll to find the best player of the 20th century in 2000, Maradona won a clear victory in an internet vote among supporters, only for FIFA to change the selection criteria to ensure the award was shared with Pele.

In a typical display of hubris, Maradona attended the award ceremony and collected his prize -- but walked out before Pele took the stage.

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