Maradona’s Murals: Where to find ‘El Diego’ in Naples

You can’t go far in Naples without seeing something of Diego Armando Maradona. From a ten-storey mural to a sticker on the back of a road sign, ‘D10S’ (God) is everywhere. I went to seek him out.

You’ve probably seen the film. You probably know the story. To recap, Diego Maradona joined the Napoli in 1984 on a world-record transfer from FC Barcelona. At the time, Napoli was a consistently mid-table Serie A club with just two Coppa Italia trophies in the cabinet. Over a seven-year period, Diego helped deliver two Serie A titles, a third Coppa Italia, a SuperCoppa Italiana, and the UEFA Cup. Famously, when Argentina took on hosts Italy in the 1990 World Cup semi-final at Napoli’s Stadio San Paolo, Maradona challenged Neapolitans to choose between him and his Argentina side and the Azzurri representing the Italy that sneered on the south. 

Given this golden period for Napoli – graced by Diego, Careca, Ferrara, Giordano and Zola, among others – it’s no wonder Neapolitans are nostalgic for that era. And it plays out in murals, graffiti, and merchandise across Naples. Here’s where to find them.

The Original Maradona Mural

The first and most-visited mural to Maradona was painted by Napoli fan Mario Filardi in 1990 to mark Napoli’s second Scudetto. You can find it at the top of the Via Emanuele de Deo in Naples’ Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish Quarter). The mural overlooks a small square with a whole bunch of Maradona merch on offer. This is a scene of fan pilgrimage, so you’ll find plenty of stickers from around the world, especially Argentina.

Where to find it:

Maradona in the Quartieri Spagnoli

It’s worth wandering the streets of the Quartieri Spagnoli in your own time to see what evidence of El Diegoyou can find. The quality of the artwork varies substantially. My personal favourite was a pixelated depiction of the ‘Hand of God’, where 162.8cm Diego outjumped 186cm Peter Shilton at Mexico ’86. I’m sure even VAR would have picked that one up…

There are all manner of shrines and graffiti with quasi-religious iconography, underlining the cult-like status Diego still has here. 

Maradona in Naples’ Centro Storico

Naples’ Centro Storico (Historic Centre) is well worth a meander. Stalls flank the narrow cobbled streets and you’ll be have plenty of opportunity to bag yourself some Maradona merch. Whether is a figuring, postcard, or scarf, you will find El Diego in multiple formats.

Again, just keep your eyes out for amazing graffiti – not just of Maradona, but of other historical figures. There is a superb double-header of Fidel Castro.

Ten-storey depiction of Maradona

In 2017, Naples-based artist Jorit painted a huge portrait of Maradona in his later years at the end of a ten-storey block of flats in the southern Naples district of San Giovanni a Teduccio. You need to get the train to Barra a couple of stops south from Piazza Garibaldi station to see this one. I didn’t make the trip.

Where to find it:

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

No visit to Naples is complete without taking in a Napoli match at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, renamed from the San Paolo in late 2020 after Maradona’s death. This is Italy’s largest football arena that’s used by a single club, the two higher-capacity stadiums are shared – San Siro (Inter, Milan) and Stadio Olimpico (Lazio, Roma). Buy tickets from official vendors as you’ll need your passport to buy one and gain entry. 

How to get there: