Y’all I’m struggling to think of a sport where you can have an argument for goat without not having any individual records, outstanding accolades or accomplishments over your peers?
Soccer? Maradona doesn’t really own any individual awards or records but won 2 world cups which any soccer player will tell you is the greatest feat you could ever aspire to and he did it twice.
Hockey? Nope.
Football? Not really. Some try to sneak Marino in there but while he revolutionized the game vertically is more of a contrarian pick. Position by position many will argue Barry over Emmitt but Barry retired out of choice not his ability declining.
Baseball? Willie Mays? But he owned a bunch of records when he retired and was perhaps the best all around offensive player of all time.
Wilt in basketball is the inverse. He holds almost every single NBA record for an individual. Is in the top 5 for every single record.
Yet you have people literally trying to write him out of the GOAT convo.
That said Marino would have to be the guy in the NFL. He is arguably the greatest QB of all time, with no AFC championships outside his first year and no super bowl rings.
But I think in soccer is anyone really putting maradona in the goat contention or is he just a lefend in his country. Honest question I don't know