Jorge Burruchaga believes you can feel the absence of former team-mate Diego Maradona at the first World Cup since the ex-Argentina captain s death in 2020.
Maradona, who skippered La Albiceleste to glory in 1986, was remembered at an event to mark the second anniversary of his passing from a cardiac arrest at the age of 60.
Burruchaga – also part of that victorious side in Mexico 36 years ago – paid tribute to a unique legend, whose presence he claims can be felt among his former team-mates.
The last time we spoke was a couple of months before his passing, the former attacking midfielder told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
We reunited when I returned to Argentina to coach Gimnasia La Plata. I can t say we were close friends, perhaps we had a closer bond on the pitch than off it, but we respected each other after a long path together.
This is the first World Cup without him, and you can feel it. He is a unique legend, football lost its most valuable treasure. But I can feel his presence here among us, and I am not being rhetorical.
A dos años de tu paso a la inmortalidad. Jamás te vamos a olvidar…
¡Gracias por todo!
— Selección Argentina(@Argentina)
Burruchaga and Maradona combined for the winning goal in the 1986 final victory over West Germany, who recovered from 2-0 down to level at 2-2 with six minutes remaining at the Azteca Stadium.
The mercurial Maradona s perfectly weighted first-time throughball released Burruchaga, who raced away from the defence before scoring to seal their nation s second World Cup triumph.
Diego was angry after Germany’s equaliser and told us a few things, the 60-year-old remembers. We were up by two goals, I am not saying it was an easy match, but we had it in hand.
Diego saw an upset Jorge Valdano [after Germany’s equaliser], but told him: No worries, we are going to win this. And he made us win. After my goal, he celebrated and looked to the sky. I was so proud to see him happy thanks to my strike.
Argentina s latest quest for a third title – and what could be Lionel Messi s final shot at glory – began with a shock 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia in Group C, from which they will seek a response against Mexico on Saturday.
The ultimate prize in football is the only one missing from Messi s well-stocked cabinet, but Burruchaga hopes that will be rectified this year.
He added: Over the last 40 years, the God of football has been Argentinean, and Messi would deserve the World Cup to crown an extraordinary career.
