Maradona predicted 'Goal of the Century' before England clash: Ex-masseur

Diego Maradona had a premonition he would score a goal for the ages against England in the 1986 World Cup, his former masseur Salvatore Carmando has revealed. Carmando shared this anecdote in an interview published by FIFA, coinciding with the renewed rivalry between Argentina and England in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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I have to score an amazing goal today. I don’t know how exactly, but somehow I have to do it.

Carmando recounted the moments before the iconic quarter-final match at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca on June 22, 1986. He said Maradona had expressed a strong desire to produce something extraordinary. "Before the match, he’d said to me, ‘I have to score an amazing goal today. I don’t know how exactly, but somehow I have to do it,’" Carmando recalled. Maradona's prediction proved prophetic, as he went on to score twice in Argentina's 2-1 victory, netting both the controversial "Hand of God" goal and the breathtaking solo effort widely hailed as the "Goal of the Century."

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If ever he said he was going to do something, he always would.

Carmando, who worked with Maradona for over three decades, including as the official masseur for Argentina's national team at the World Cup, emphasized Maradona's ability to fulfill his promises. "If ever he said he was going to do something, he always would," Carmando stated, recalling a similar instance before a Napoli-Juventus match where Maradona scored from an indirect free-kick. Carmando accompanied Maradona throughout Argentina's victorious campaign in Mexico, considering himself an indispensable part of the star player's preparation and recovery.

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It may have been 40 years ago, but things like that never leave you. To think Argentina and England are going to meet again, well, it’s a historic occasion.

Reflecting on the upcoming semi-final between Argentina and England, Carmando noted the historic significance of the fixture. "It may have been 40 years ago, but things like that never leave you. To think Argentina and England are going to meet again, well, it’s a historic occasion," he said. Carmando also offered a humorous perspective on Maradona's infamous opening goal, jokingly asserting, "Everyone says he scored it with his hand, but that is not true – he scored it with his head."

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Everyone says he scored it with his hand, but that is not true – he scored it with his head.