As Messi dominates World Cup, war rages for Maradona's ghost
While Lionel Messi dominates the 2026 World Cup and sponsors chase his celebrity, Diego Maradona's image is curiously absent from major campaigns—a yearslong global legal war over his likeness has split his family and left at least six parties claiming exclusive licensing rights.
Key Takeaways
- Messi scored in every group-stage game as Argentina swept the 2026 World Cup group stage while Maradona's commercial image stayed largely sidelined.
- Maradona died without a will in November 2020, triggering fraud cases and trademark fights involving his five children, his sisters, and former lawyer Matías Morla's company Sattvica.
- Electronic Arts removed then restored Maradona in EA FC; Napoli and licensors from Britain to Dubai face similar disputes.
- A viral video comparing Maradona at Messi's current age has shocked fans and reignited debate about their contrasting careers.
- Argentina's Secretary of Sports says Maradona's cultural legacy must be honored even as courts decide commercial control.
Why Is Maradona's Image Missing While Messi Thrives?
Outside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, fans wore Lionel Messi jerseys by the thousands during Argentina's 2026 World Cup run. Juan Manuel Garcia, 40, from Rosario, stood out in a No. 10 shirt—but it belonged to Diego Maradona. "Messi might now be considered a better player, but Maradona is Argentina—and Argentina is Maradona," Garcia told The New York Times.
That reverence is visible across Buenos Aires, from murals to truck decals showing Maradona waiting for Messi in heaven. Yet while Messi's genius pays off handsomely, Maradona's image is missing from major campaigns. The reason is a strange legal battle spanning continents, patent offices, and family lines—one that has proved as chaotic as Maradona's life.
Who Is Fighting Over Maradona's Brand Rights?
Maradona died without a will after brain surgery, leaving five acknowledged children. Former associates claimed he had willed commercial rights to his sisters rather than his children. A fraud case is ongoing against those associates, who are accused of illegally profiting from his name.
The dispute centers on Sattvica, a company linked to Morla. In January, a Buenos Aires court confirmed Maradona's children as heirs and ordered Sattvica to stop new business, routing revenue from existing contracts into a court-supervised account. Contact between the children and their aunts now runs through lawyers. "Basically, they've decided to be against their nephews and nieces because of money," said Jana Maradona, one of his daughters.
The New York Times spoke with six people who each claimed exclusive licensing deals. Investors from Britain, Italy, India, and the United Arab Emirates have spent hundreds of thousands pursuing global rights. British entrepreneur Sanjay Wadhwani, a Sattvica partner, estimates competing ownership claims may have cost investors about $5 million.
How Has the Legal Battle Hit Global Brands?
The highest-profile case involved Electronic Arts and its EA FC franchise. EA signed Maradona in 2017, but after his death competing claims forced the company to pull him from the game. He was restored in February 2025 after EA reached a deal with his children.
Italian club Napoli faced similar disputes over jerseys bearing Maradona's image after his death. Argentina's Secretary of Sports, Inés Arrondo, told Mwakilishi.com that while courts deliberate over commercial aspects of Maradona's legacy, "it is vital that we honor his contribution to our national identity and to the sport of soccer worldwide."
Why Are Fans Still Comparing Messi and Maradona?
As Messi extends his World Cup dominance, a viral video circulated by Diario AS compares footage of Maradona at Messi's current age—and the contrast has shocked fans online. The clip highlights how Messi remains a decisive force at the 2026 tournament while Maradona's path at a similar stage looked radically different.
The Messi-versus-Maradona debate has echoed across English-language football media during the tournament—a conversation that pundits including Ian Wright have weighed in on separately from the courtroom fight. For more offbeat global headlines, see our Bizarre News & Florida Man section.
None of it has slowed Argentina's pursuit of a fourth World Cup title. If anything, the tournament offers clarity—a chance to honor the man many still consider their purest symbol, undiminished by the legal wreckage left behind.