Church devoted to Maradona opens in Mexico

A church devoted to exulting the heroics of Diego Maradona, the late Argentina football legend, has recently opened its doors to worshippers in Mexico.

According to Reuters, the church, which was opened in the Mexican city of Puebla last week, is a place of worship of the “religion” created in Argentina in 1998 by the aficionadoes of the late football icon.

The interior of the church is decorated with photos of Maradona — from his childhood to emblematic meetings with Fidel Castro, the late Cuban leader, and Pope Francis in a deliberate imitation of the Catholic Stations of the Cross.

Since its creation 23 years ago, the Maradonian religion has spread to several countries, amassing more than half a million followers worldwide.

A church celebrating a ‘religion’ by admirers of the late soccer player Diego Maradona has opened in Mexico. The Maradonian religion, created in Argentina in 1998, has more than half a million followers worldwide https://t.co/9uTMZ3G83D pic.twitter.com/F4Wf6qcdTn

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 16, 2021

Marcelo Buchet, who unveiled the building, said the church is a place for “crazy” Maradona fans like him to display their veneration for the 1986 World Cup winner.

“It is not like going to another church, sitting down and listening,” he said.

“Here, you are part of everything. People have accepted this, and they are very happy. I have seen people cry; people throw themselves at his picture, pray. I feel much better that I’m not the only crazy one.”

Maradona died in November 2020 at the age of 60 after battling cardiac arrest.

After winning the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, he became a football folk hero, which led many to believe he’s the greatest footballer of all time.

Maradona was an unstoppable force on his course to reaching the very top of the game.