Maradona’s Double Miracle and Barça’s Cup Dominance
June 22nd is forever linked to Diego Maradona’s dual masterclass in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal. Facing England at Mexico’s Azteca Stadium, Maradona controversially scored with his hand—the infamous “Hand of God” —before delivering one of football’s greatest individual goals, dribbling past five defenders to seal a 2-1 victory. This match, dubbed “the game of the century,” propelled Argentina to their second World Cup title and solidified Maradona’s status as a global icon.
For Barcelona, June 22nd holds domestic glory. In 1983, the Catalans defeated Atlético Madrid 5-2 in a Copa del Rey semifinal, with Maradona himself scoring as Barça advanced to lift the trophy . Fourteen years later, Hristo Stoichkov marked his final Barcelona appearance with a goal in a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano, capping a career that yielded 117 goals and three La Liga titles.
