Roberto Cejas carried Maradona during the 1986 final
Roberto Cejas, the Argentine fan who became part of football folklore after carrying Diego Maradona on his shoulders during Argentina’s iconic 1986 World Cup triumph, has died at the age of 68.
Cejas’ name may not have been famous, but his face and that unforgettable moment, were seen around the world.
On June 29, 1986, inside Mexico’s legendary Azteca Stadium, Cejas unknowingly stepped into sporting immortality.
He had traveled from Argentina to Mexico City to witness the World Cup final between Argentina and West Germany.
With no official ticket for the lower stands, he reportedly paid a group of locals inside the stadium to move closer to the pitch. What followed was a sequence of events that would change his life forever.
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When the final whistle blew, confirming Argentina’s 3-2 victory and sealing Maradona’s first and only World Cup title as captain, chaos and euphoria erupted.
Fans invaded the field in wild celebration.
Among them was Cejas, who sprinted onto the grass hoping to grab a small souvenir, perhaps a piece of turf or a touch of the net.
But instead, he found himself face-to-face with Maradona.
The Argentine captain, drenched in sweat and glory, spotted the burly fan before him and, in that spontaneous moment, gestured for Cejas to lift him onto his shoulders.
Without hesitation, Cejas obliged. As Maradona raised the golden World Cup trophy aloft, Cejas paraded him around the stadium, unknowingly becoming part of one of football’s most iconic images.
Cameras from across the globe captured the scene: Maradona, triumphant, holding the trophy high above thousands of roaring fans, balanced on the shoulders of an anonymous supporter who symbolized the passion of an entire nation.
The next morning, Cejas’ image was splashed across front pages around the world. Yet, despite the fame, he returned quietly to his normal life, carrying only the memory of that magical night.
His passing marks the end of a life forever linked to one of football’s greatest legends and moments.
FKA/AM
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