It was a fleeting moment, but eternal. In the midst of the chaos and overflowing joy after the consecration of the Argentine National Team in Mexico 1986, Roberto Cejas carried Diego Maradona on his shouldersthe man who had just touched the sky with his hands. On the 10th he held the World Cup, and at his side thousands of Argentines cried, screamed and jumped without believing what they were experiencing. Among all that, there was a minimal crossing between the two, almost lost among the celebrations: a single word.
Years later, Cejas told what was the only phrase they said to each other. “When I picked him up, I asked him for a souvenir loot. And he answered me: ‘No, they are for the old lady“, he remembered with a smile. That simple and affectionate “no”, typical of Diego, was all they crossed at that moment. No photo or video recorded it, but for Cejas it was enough to be marked for life.
That “no” became, with the passage of time, a kind of intimate treasure, a minimal anecdote within a gigantic story. Because Not everyone can say that they carried the captain who won the World Cup at the Azteca Stadium.in which it would be one of the most recognizable images of Argentine football.
Roberto Cejas died
This Sunday the death of Roberto Cejas was announced, after suffering a long illness. His figure was forever linked to that afternoon when Argentina beat Germany 3-2 and became world champion for the second time in its history.
Cejas had traveled to Mexico without a ticket for the final. He said that he managed to get into the stadium, jumping a fence at the right momentand ended up living the unthinkable. “When the game was over, we jumped onto the field. Diego stopped, looked at me, and I picked him up.. He was showing me where to go. “I didn’t become aware of what was happening until much later,” he said in an interview with TyC Sports.
The photo of that moment spread around the world: Maradona on top, with the Cup in his hands, and Cejas holding him from below, lost among the Argentine delirium. That portrait became a universal postcard of football and popular joy. “My grandchildren see me on TV and say ‘that’s the grandfather who carries Maradona’. It’s a source of pride,” he said tenderly.
Roberto Cejas’ memory of his encounter with Maradona in the 86 World Cup in Mexico
Cejas met Diego again many years later, during the Brazil World Cup 2014in the De Zurda program. There, in front of the cameras, they gave each other a hug that closed the circle of that incredible story. “Diego laughed and told me: ‘I know how much the Cup weighs, but you know how much I weigh with the Cup‘. “It was a beautiful moment,” he said, laughing.
As time went by, Cejas became a silent symbol of ’86. He was neither a player, nor a leader, nor a journalist. Just a fan who, at the exact moment, he was where he had to be. He himself used to joke that if the Hand of God scored the goal for England, the other hand was the one that put it right under Diego. “I don’t know why it was my turn,” he said, “but God put me there and I’ll be there forever.”
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.
