New trial over football great Maradona’s death begins in Argentina

Buenos Aires – A fresh attempt to assign criminal responsibility for the death of Diego Maradona opens in court on Tuesday, relaunching a legal drama that collapsed last year amid judicial misconduct.

The 1986 World Cup winner died in November 2020 at the age of 60 while recuperating from brain surgery at a rented home in Tigre, north of the capital. Autopsy results attributed his death to heart failure complicated by acute pulmonary edema barely two weeks after the operation.

Prosecutors again contend that seven members of the star’s medical team provided grossly negligent care during his convalescence and have re-indicted them on charges of negligent homicide, carrying potential prison terms of eight to twenty-five years. All defendants have formally denied the accusation of “simple homicide with eventual intent,” insisting Maradona succumbed to natural causes after a lifetime of cardiovascular strain and well-documented battles with cocaine and alcohol.

The aborted first trial began on 11 March and heard roughly two months of testimony, including emotional statements from Maradona’s children, before revelations emerged that Judge Julieta Makintach had participated in the filming of a documentary inside the courthouse and her chambers. The breach of judicial protocol forced annulment of the proceedings in May 2025 and led to Makintach’s impeachment.

Court officials say the retrial will convene approximately 120 witnesses as judges re-examine medical charts, nursing logs and expert reports that allegedly show warning signs were ignored in the days leading up to the footballer’s fatal cardiac event. Sessions will be held in Buenos Aires province’s criminal courts with a new judicial panel presiding.

Maradona’s passing prompted an outpouring of national grief, drawing hundreds of thousands of Argentines onto the streets even as COVID-19 lockdowns were in force. Revered for the dazzling solo goal against England at the 1986 World Cup—an effort FIFA later voted one of the greatest in tournament history—Maradona remains a cultural icon whose brilliance on the pitch was often matched by turmoil off it.

The trial is expected to run for several months, with the defence poised to argue that the former Napoli and Boca Junios star’s complex medical history, rather than malpractice, explains his sudden demise. A verdict will determine whether any of the seven health professionals will face prison time or be formally cleared of blame.

Diego Maradona, FIFA co-Player of the Century alongside Brazil’s Pelé, was laid to rest in a private cemetery on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. The courtroom saga surrounding his death now resumes, promising renewed scrutiny of the care afforded to one of football’s most luminous yet troubled figures.

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