Rare Photos Show Maradona Juggling on USS Iowa During 1989 Visit

Diego Maradona’s extraordinary connection with football has once again been highlighted through a remarkable set of previously unseen photographs from 1989.

The Argentine legend can be seen juggling a football on the deck of the USS Iowa, a historic American battleship, during a visit to Naples more than three decades ago. The photographs were recently shared by Fernando Signorini, Maradona’s longtime fitness coach and close associate. According to Signorini, the images were taken on November 15, 1989.

In the photographs, Maradona is seen performing his trademark ball-juggling skills beside the enormous guns of the battleship. The unusual setting makes the images particularly striking, but for anyone familiar with Maradona, the football itself was hardly surprising.

Maradona’s Visit to the USS Iowa

The USS Iowa was in Naples in November 1989 when Maradona was invited to visit the battleship by NATO officials based in the Italian city. Signorini accompanied the Napoli superstar during the visit.

Signorini recalled that Maradona received a reception befitting a head of state. Yet the most memorable moment came when a football suddenly appeared.

Maradona immediately began juggling the ball, repeating a routine he had performed since his younger days at Argentinos Juniors, where he would entertain supporters with his skills during half-time.

A Football Always Followed Maradona

Signorini was one of the people who knew Maradona most closely during the peak years of his career. He worked with the Argentine star from 1983 to 1994, accompanying him through some of the most important periods of his career.

Also present during the USS Iowa visit was Angelo Rossi, a close friend of Maradona and a journalist who worked for Naples-based newspaper Il Mattino. Rossi later wrote about the unusual visit.

The photographs offer a glimpse of Maradona away from the football pitch but doing exactly what came naturally to him whenever he had a ball nearby.

From Napoli Icon to Global Superstar

At the time of the visit, Maradona was at the height of his popularity in Naples. Having led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title and Napoli to major success, he had become much more than an ordinary football star.

That status was reflected in the reception he received aboard the battleship.

But the most memorable detail remains the football itself. Surrounded by military personnel and the massive guns of the USS Iowa, Maradona simply returned to what he loved most—controlling a football.

More than three decades later, the newly revealed images have provided another fascinating glimpse into the life of one of football’s most iconic figures.