Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Diego Maradona (2019)

By Rich Phippen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Documentary about troubled soccer player has drug use.

Movie NR 2019 130 minutes
Diego Maradona (2019) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

doctora
doctora Parent of 5-year-old
June 7, 2022
age 12+

How many basked in his light and then shunned him and left him for dead?

A well made film about a person who was more famous than the sport he played in. Maradona is regarded as a legend and many times in the past tense. This film explores why the world prefers to see him in the past tense and how the soccer industry, the Italian power movers, the Just Say No-ers all turned on him and left him for dead after they had basked in his light. It is not to say that Maradona did not make decisions that helped expedite his downfall, but it is also clear that his self-destruction came at the encouragement of many people. Todavía está tocado por la mano de Dios.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

DIEGO MARADONA is a documentary about one of the greatest soccer players in the history of the sport and his subsequent fall from grace. Focusing on his time in Italy playing for Napoli, archive footage shows the Argentine World Cup winner at his on-field best, before his descent into drugs eventually loses the love of the Napoli supporters.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

This is an excellent documentary about one of soccer's greatest-ever, but also controversial, players. While Maradona's story is long and ongoing, a conscious decision has been made to concentrate on Maradona's years playing in Italy. The approach affords director Asif Kapadia -- Amy and Senna -- the opportunity to look closely at the 1980s, the decade in which Maradona became arguably the greatest footballer of all time. An atmospheric soundtrack and brilliant editing of the copious amounts of archive footage weave a compelling story that gets to he heart of why Maradona's career -- and indeed his life -- went off the rails.

With drugs, prostitution, and the Italian Mafia all featuring heavily, Diego Maradona is more than your average sports documentary. There is so much archive footage that all the interviews are treated as voice-overs, rather than talking heads, which is an impressive feat for a documentary based on events from over 30 years ago.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the drug use in Diego Maradona. How and why could someone as talented as Maradona end up addicted to drugs? Do you have some sympathy with Maradona's plight? What was the role of those around him in enabling his decline?

  • Are Maradona's achievements tainted by his behavior? What other flawed heroes can you think of? Does this impact how we should support or remember them?

  • How is sex depicted in the documentary? What was Maradona's attitude to women like? Is there anything loving or consensual about any of them? Parents, talk about your own values regarding sex and relationships.

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate