Why Donald Trump 'banned' Diego Maradona from entering US
- Diego Maradona was once denied entry to the United States despite having previously visited the country as Argentina’s national team manager
- The incident occurred ahead of a scheduled court appearance in Miami involving his former spouse
- Maradona’s US travel troubles are part of a series of complex events in the later years of his life, which continued up until his passing in 2020
Argentine legend Diego Maradona was once denied entry into the United States after making an insulting remark about Donald Trump, according to his lawyer.
Maradona had initially been banned from the US after testing positive for ephedrine during the 1994 World Cup.
Source: Getty Images
Argentina were eliminated in the round of 16 by Romania that year, but the controversy began earlier. Following a 2–1 group-stage victory over Nigeria, Maradona was selected for a random drug test. The positive result led to his immediate suspension and expulsion from the tournament.
He was subsequently handed a suspension of more than a year by FIFA. Another failed drug test in 1995 prompted US authorities to revoke his visa, extending his troubles with entering the country.
The ban was eventually lifted in 2009, allowing Maradona to return to the United States in his capacity as Argentina’s national team manager.
However, nine years later, he was once again refused entry - this time due to comments he made about Trump, who was serving his first term as President.
Why Trump 'banned' Maradona
According to his lawyer, Matias Morla, Maradona had been advised to avoid speaking about the United States during an interview with Venezuelan television network TeleSur. Morla explained that he had cautioned him beforehand, aware of how sensitive such matters could be.
During the interview, Maradona was asked for his opinion on Trump. In response, he referred to him as a “chirolita,” an Argentine slang term meaning dummy or puppet. The remark ultimately had consequences.
Speaking on Buenos Dias America in Argentina, Morla recalled:
“You can imagine, I was in the embassy and I said ‘Diego, please don’t talk about the United States’. Because the interview was with TeleSur and I know how these things go. And the second question was ‘What do you think of Donald Trump’? He said ‘Donald Trump is a chirolita?’ After this, I said I’m going to have to represent you in Miami instead.”
Source: Getty Images
At the time, Maradona had been planning to travel to the US for a court case in Miami involving his ex-wife of 14 years, Claudia Villafane. According to the Daily Mail, Villafane was accused of misappropriating money from the former SSC Napoli star and using it to purchase luxury apartments in the city, often referred to as the “Magic City.”
In 2017, Maradona had also described Trump as a “comic” and a “cartoon” in an interview with RT in Russia, adding that he would regularly “switch the channel” whenever the US President appeared on television.
Maradona passed away in November 2020 after suffering a heart attack, just days after undergoing brain surgery to treat a blood clot. Members of his medical team were later charged with negligence, and a trial that began in 2024 is still ongoing.
Maradona on Messi vs Ronaldo debate
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Diego Maradona once made a surprising choice when asked to settle the long-standing ‘Greatest of All Time’ debate, snubbing both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Despite being widely considered one of football’s all-time greats, Maradona pointed to another legendary figure as the best ever.
Source: YEN.com.gh
