Napoli · 1986-87 · World Cup Legend
10
Argentinos Juniors
Boca Juniors
FC Barcelona
SSC Napoli (1986-87)

Diego Maradona

ARG Argentina 26 years 165cm Left-footed Attacking Midfielder / Forward 91 Caps · 34 Goals
T1 Extensive
T2 Composite
10/12 T3 Verified
FGA v3 · ERA Adj.
9.6
HISTORICAL VALIDATION
Peak FGA: 9.6
Tactical Positioning Map
10 AM / SS — PRIMARY
Tactical board · Primary: Attacking Midfielder / Second Striker · Deep playmaker + dribbler
Top Philosophy Fits

Technical

SOA · Speed on Action 9.80 ★ 31evt · High
CRK · Creative Risk 9.90 ★ 28evt · High
DYN · Dynamism 9.40 12evt · High
DMA · Decision Making 9.20 18evt · High
Dribbling · 360° control + nutmeg 9.90 est.
Passing · Weighted precision 9.70 21evt
Ball Carries · SII_A events 9.50 31evt
Free Kicks · Precision & power 9.60 4evt

Mental

CRS · Clutch Response 9.80 ★ 12evt · High
CLM · Calmness 9.50 ★ 8evt · High
MCS · Mental Competence 9.10 10evt · High
OMS · Transition 9.0 6evt · High
CHR · Character 8.8 4evt · Medium
Provocation response · 36:37 9.5 3evt
Resilience · WC 86 9.8 8evt
Concentration · 9.1 avg 9.1 10evt

Physical

SII_A · Explosive Accel 9.00 18evt · High
SII_T · Top-End Speed 8.50 4evt · Medium
SII_R · Recovery 8.2 3evt · Medium
Agility · 360 spins 9.90 28evt
Balance · Low center of gravity 9.80 est.
Stamina · 90 min dominance 9.0 10m
Strength · Shielding 9.0 4evt
Acceleration · SII_A floor 7.5 9.0 18evt

Cross-League Performance Projection

LOG (Level of Game) contextualizes performance across leagues. Maradona's ERA-adjusted 9.6 FGA is among the highest in the series — based on 1986-87 Serie A performance with ERA ×0.95 adjustment.

Current Context
ITA Serie A 86-87
9.6
ERA-Adjusted · LOG 3.6
Projection · Premier League
ENG Premier League
9.3
LOG-Adjusted · Tier 3.7
Projection · La Liga
ESP La Liga
9.6
LOG-Adjusted · Tier 3.7

Methodology

Formula: LOG-Adjusted Score = Base FGA × (Current League Tier ÷ Target League Tier).
Premier League: 9.6 × (3.6 ÷ 3.7) = 9.3
La Liga: 9.6 × (3.6 ÷ 3.7) = 9.3

Note: These projections are adjusted for historical context with ERA ×0.95. Maradona's 1986-87 profile suggests he would be a world-class attacking midfielder in any era. SOA 9.8 and CRK 9.9 are all-series records.

Top 10 Philosophy Fits

1
Menotti · Argentine Free Toque
9.8
2
Santana · Audacious Attack
9.7
3
Cruyff · Ghost Runner No. 10
9.6
4
Bilardo · Pragmatic Genius
9.5
5
Guardiola · False 9 / Deep Run
9.3
6
Feola · Brazil 58 · Individual Genius
9.2
7
Bielsa · High-Intensity Vertical
9.1
8
Klopp · Transition Playmaker
8.9
9
Sacchi · Pressing 10
8.5
10
Defensive Positioning System
4.0

Tactical Archetype

"El Diego — The Complete Playmaker" — Maradona transcends tactical systems. His highest fits are Menotti (Argentine free toque), Santana (audacious attack), and Cruyff (ghost runner / deep playmaker). At 26, he is the definitive reference for the creative No. 10 role.

Attacking Midfielder Left-footed Napoli No. 10 ARG El Diego World Cup 1986
School Averages
9.7
South American School
9.5
Dutch Creative
9.2
Modern Masters
8.5
Italian Discipline

Career Timeline

Born 30 Oct 1960
Born Diego Armando Maradona in Lanús, Buenos Aires.
1976 · Argentinos Juniors
Professional debut at 15. Became the youngest player in Argentine Primera División history.
1981 · Boca Juniors
First Boca stint. Won the Nacional championship. Scored 28 goals in 40 appearances.
1982-84 · FC Barcelona
Signed for a world-record fee. Won Copa del Rey 1983. Contract terminated after Bittencourt incident.
1984-91 · SSC Napoli
THE ASSESSED PEAK. 1986-87: first Scudetto. 1987-88: Capocannoniere. 1989-90: second Scudetto + UEFA Cup. World Cup 1986 — legendary.
1992-93 · Sevilla
Spanish return. 29 appearances, 8 goals. Reunited with Carlos Bilardo.
1993 · Newell's Old Boys
Short Argentine return. 5 goals in 11 appearances.
1994 · World Cup Ban
Banned from the 1994 World Cup after failing a drug test. A definitive shadow on his legacy.
1995-97 · Boca Juniors
Final playing years. 30 appearances, 7 goals. Retired in 1997.

Career Statistics

Honours

HonourYearClub
★ FIFA World Cup1986Argentina
★ Golden Ball (WC)1986Argentina
◆ Serie A (Scudetto)1986-87SSC Napoli
◆ Serie A (Scudetto)1989-90SSC Napoli
◆ Coppa Italia1986-87SSC Napoli
◆ UEFA Cup1988-89SSC Napoli
◆ Copa del Rey1982-83FC Barcelona
◆ Argentine Primera1981Boca Juniors
★ FIFA Player of the Century2000
Medical & Physical Panel

Physical Profile

Age (peak)26-30
Height165cm
Weight~70kg
FootLeft
PositionAM / SS
JerseyNo. 10
CitizenshipArgentina
National TeamArgentina Senior

Assessment Note

Historical Validation Pilot — Complete
The Empire FGA v3 methodology, applied retroactively to 1986-87 Serie A footage with ERA ×0.95 adjustment, produces scores that reflect what the video evidence demonstrates. SOA 9.8 and CRK 9.9 are all-series highs — the defining creative intelligence of the era.

Positive Filters

  • ERA-Adjusted FGA 9.6 — Top-tier all-series — All-series records in SOA (9.8 · 31evt), CRK (9.9 · 28evt), CRS (9.8 · 12evt)
  • The England goal (1986 WC QF) — 8 metrics × 10/10 simultaneously — SII_A · DMA · CHR · MCS · SPI · CRS · DYN · CRK — one of the highest single-action score densities
  • CRS 9.8 — Elite clutch response — 12 events including World Cup quarter-final, Scudetto deciders
  • CLM 9.5 — Exceptional calmness — 8 events, composed under extreme pressure
  • Free kick mastery — 4 direct free kick goals in the assessed sample
  • OMS 9.0 — Transition work rate — 6 events, including defensive recovery
  • DYN 9.4 — Exceptional dynamism — 12 events, positional flexibility in attack
  • MCS 9.1 — Strong mental competence — 10 events, maintained performance under contact
  • FIFA Player of the Century (2000) — The hardware confirms the performance

Caution Signals

  • OBI_P (3 events) · SII_R (3 events) · CHR (4 events) — moderate confidence — Additional matches needed to confirm these metrics
  • DMA floor of 7.5/10 — Two documented decision-making errors in 18 events; not a concern at this average (9.2)
  • Physical decline post-1991 — The assessed peak is 1986-90; later years show diminished athleticism
  • Fixed-camera footage limitations (pre-1990) — Some OBI_S events on far side unobservable; ERA ×0.95 accounts for this

Critical Gaps

  • 4 metrics pending full confirmation — OBI_P (3evt), SII_R (3evt), CHR (4evt) — require additional matches to reach 5-event threshold
  • Historical footage limitations (pre-1985) — Fixed cameras reduce OBI_S observation quality; ERA adjustment partially addresses this
  • 1994 ban context — The suspension affects career longevity assessment; peak years remain definitively elite

Empire FGA Verdict

ERA-Adjusted FGA 9.6 · All-Series Records Across Three Categories · Validation Confirmed. The Empire FGA v3 methodology, applied retroactively to 1986-87 Serie A footage with ERA ×0.95 adjustment and strict Halo Effect Rule enforcement, produces a score that reflects what the video evidence demonstrates — not what Maradona's reputation suggests it should be. SOA 9.8 / 31 events, CRK 9.9 / 28 events, CRS 9.8 / 12 events define the creative ceiling of the framework. The England '86 goal and the Napoli Scudetto campaign represent definitive tactical intelligence evidence. The methodology holds. The pilot succeeds.

🎬 Video Highlights (Vimeo Embeds)
📁 Full Match Videos (Dropbox)

Key Timestamps — Best Events

1986 WC QF · vs England · The Goal

51:00"The Hand of God"
Controversial — but within the same match...
54:00"The Goal of the Century"
60m dribble · 5 defenders beaten · SII_A 10 · DMA 10 · CRS 10 · CRK 10 · SOA 10
90+ — Match-winning performance · LOG 5.0

1986-87 · Napoli vs Juventus · Scudetto Decider

15:00 — Free kick goal · CRK 10 · SOA 10 · CLM 10
38:00 — 360° spin · nutmeg · SII_A 9.5 · SOA 10 · DYN 10
68:00 — Assist for the winner · DMA 10 · CRS 10
85:00 — Defensive recovery · OMS 10 · CHR 9

1989 UEFA Cup Final · Napoli vs Stuttgart

1st leg2-0 at San Paolo
CRS 10 · CLM 10 · DMA 10
2nd leg3-3 in Stuttgart
SII_A 10 · SOA 10 · CRK 10
OverallUEFA Cup winner
The definitive European performance