When Diego Maradona was laying claim to his title of the greatest player of all time, we millennials weren’t around to witness his genius. But time and again, movies and documentaries have relayed the world’s reverence for the little Argentinian, for bringing sheer beauty to the beautiful game.

The strength of the show lies in the actors who play the footballer at different points in his life. All of them bear an uncanny resemblance to Maradona which at times almost feels unreal. A special mention for Juan Palomino who fits into the role of the legend to portray the later stages of his life and stuns us with the most natural performance. Each actor surges ahead with the sole intention of providing emotional depth and power to their characters which translates beautifully in telling of the stories of Maradona’s personal and professional lives. 

Biopics do have the propensity to lose sight of where to go easy with dramatisation. Not this time. The absorbing, entertaining, and well-constructed series remains true to facts as it shows the soccer hero for who he really was. And one can see it right from episode one, which focuses on Maradona’s humble upbringing in Villa Fiorito, the biggest achievements of his remarkable sporting career, to the later episodes showing his fall from grace and into the lap of drugs and scandals. 

Filtering stories, experiences, and incidents spanning 60 years to present an authentic look into the colourful life of a football legend is not easy. But the fact that director, Alejandro Aimetta didn’t let the show run out of steam and kept us intrigued throughout the 5 episodes is a big deal. Teeming with life, it’s unlike most biopics on sports legends. And we honestly can’t wait to find out what the latter half of the first season has in store for us. 

In addition to being a compelling sports story and character study, this series also consists of enough crime drama plotlines to satisfy a Scorsese buff. At least that’s what it seems like in the first five episodes. It’s all here, the great games, goals, and the scandals. The show, however, makes it a point to treat the personification of each chapter of the football lord’s life with a sensitive approach which also comes through in the adopted cinematography style.

Having binged five episodes in one sitting, it’s not a happy feeling to wait for another week to know what happens next. As far as you are concerned, go check out the show now! Especially if you’re a football lover like me. Meanwhile, you can check out the trailer here.