His story, marked by an eternal photo, was forever linked to Argentine football.
Roberto Cejas diedthe man who carried on his shoulders Diego Armando Maradona during the Olympic return of Mexico 86. His image, immortalized alongside the Argentine captain lifting the World Cup, became one of the most remembered postcards in world sport.
Eyebrows He struggled for a long time with an illness. The news, confirmed by his brother-in-law, caused a wave of messages of affection between fans and former footballers. Many remembered him as “the fan who was part of the team without playing”, a symbol of the popular joy that that feat unleashed.
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Who was Roberto Cejas
Roberto Cejas was born in Santa Fe and he was a fanatic fan of the National Team since he was a child. In 1986 he worked in a metallurgical company, and with a group of friends he decided to travel to Mexico to experience the final against Germany. He didn’t have a ticket or accreditation, but his enthusiasm got the better of him: he managed to enter the Azteca Stadiumand without knowing it, he was going to go down in the great history of football.
In later interviews, Cejas said that he jumped onto the field when the match ended and, in the crowd, he ran into Maradona. “He looked at me, stopped and told me with his eyes to pick him up,” he said in a chat with TyC Sports. Thus, without planning it, he put it on his shoulders and began to jog while Diego lifted the Cup. “He was showing me where to go,” he remembered.
That scene, recorded by dozens of cameras, went around the world. In every Argentine home, that photo condensed what it meant to be a champion: the glory, the joy and the collective embrace of a people that he felt part of the achievement.
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His role in the 86 Mexico World Cup
Although he was not part of the squad, Cejas was the protagonist of one of the most symbolic moments of the World Cup. His spontaneous gesture represented millions of Argentines who celebrated from afar. Years later, he himself admitted that he was not aware of what he had experienced until he saw his image in the newspapers.
Fate crossed him with Maradona again in 2014, during the De Zurda program that Diego hosted at the World Cup in Brazil. “We gave each other a beautiful hug,” said Cejas. “Diego laughed and said: ‘‘You know how much the Cup weighs, but I know how much I weigh with the Cup’”.
Between laughs, he used to repeat that if the “Hand of God” scored the most famous goal, His other hand was the one that held him at the exact moment. He never sold his story, and preferred to describe himself as “an ordinary guy who had a moment of divine luck.”
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
