Diego Maradona Wife & Children: Who Was He Married To, How Many Kid He Had?

 

Diego Maradona has died aged 60 and Express Sport takes a look at his personal life. Who was Maradona married to, how many kids did he have?

Diego Maradona has died aged 60 after suffering a cardiac arrest. The Argentine FA confirmed the news, saying: "The Argentine Football Association, through its President Claudio Tapia, expresses its deepest sorrow for the death of our legend, Diego Armando Maradona. You will always be in our hearts."

Maradona's first and only wife was his long term fiance Claudia Villafañe, who he wed on November 7, 1984 in Buenos Aires.

The pair were married for 20 years but divorced in 2004. The pair remained on good terms and regularly went on trips together after their split.

 

While she is his only wife, he is believed to have had a string of affairs and was forced to accept paternity of three children following their break up.

The World Cup winner previously denied any children other than with his former wife.

But in 2019 he accepted he was the official father of eight children.

He has since recognised Diego Junior and Jana as his children after court battles with their mothers. 
Maradona also has another child from his relationship with Veronica Ojeda, Diego Fernando,

Three further children have been named as Joana, Lu and Javielito, and Maradona is believed to have travelled to Havana to take paternity tests last year.

His daughter Giannina - who was once married to Manchester City star Sergio Aguero - joked: "Just three more needed for the team of 11. You can do it!!!"

Prior to last year's announcement, teenager Santiago Lara made a TV appeal for Maradona to recognise him as his son.

He said: "I've been told my real father is supposedly Diego Maradona. My dad is always going to be Marcelo Lara but what I've been told is that my real father is supposedly Diego Maradona.

"I think I look like him, the face, the curls, everything. I look at Marcelo and I know we're not alike. It's not easy to wake up in the morning with that feeling.'

"I found out after I went past a newspaper stand near my house aged 13 and saw a magazine front cover with Maradona's face on it and mine pixellated underneath.

"I was left in a state of shock because I didn't know what I was doing in the magazine.

"I went running home and asked Marcelo what was going on and he explained everything.

"He told me my mum was well-known on the modelling circuit when she was younger and he told me he had the feeling I wasn't his son.

"He told me a DNA test was asked for but was never forthcoming."

Maradona's lawyer Matias Morla said at the time that the retired footballer will assume his responsibilities as Santiago's father if the blood link is confirmed.

He added the ex-footballer had been 'naughty' in Cuba, where his three newest additions to the family have been confirmed.

The three were born after Maradona moved to Cuba in February 2000 to fight drink and drug addictions. They met him for the first time at Fidel Castro's funeral.

The lawyer confessed: "There's going to be a lot of Maradona's, a lot, even if some people don't like it."

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