Boca Juniors to face Barcelona in friendly cup to honor Maradona

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Boca Juniors will play against Barcelona in a friendly cup match in December to pay tribute to Argentine football great Diego Armando Maradona, who died last year.

The Argentine club said in a statement Monday that they will face Barcelona in the Maradona Cup to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Dec. 14 as both clubs will honor their former player.

The exhibition match will be played at Mrsool Park in the Saudi capital.

Maradona died of heart failure on Nov. 25, 2020. He was 60.

One of the most iconic football figures of all time, Maradona, who was 25 at the time, was captain of the Argentine national team when he helped his nation win the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

He played for Argentina in four World Cup tournaments in 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994.

Known for his pace, highly skilled technique and dribbling skills, Maradona played for Argentina's Boca Juniors, Spanish clubs Barcelona and Sevilla, and Italian team Napoli.

In 1997, he retired from the game.