A “Bird Museum” is preparing to fly in honor of soccer legend Diego Maradona, ahead of the upcoming World Cup in Qatar in the summer of 2022.
The Tango D10S was presented on Wednesday night before flying around Argentina for Maradona fans to visit on the ground.
The plane’s exterior was decorated with pictures of Maradona – who died in 2020 of a heart attack at the age of 60 following undergoing brain surgery – including a picture in which he wore the Argentina shirt and before the World Cup, which he raised in 1986.
The plane is also scheduled to visit Barcelona and Naples, where Maradona led Napoli to the Italian League title twice only, in 1987 and 1990.
The plane is expected to arrive in Qatar, which will host the 2022 World Cup later this year, on its last leg of the tour.
England fans may not want to see the plane wherever it goes, as the graphics on the wings refer to Maradona’s two goals in the quarter-final once morest England at the 1986 World Cup, including the famous and controversial “Hand of God” goal.
Inside the plane, there are souvenirs belonging to Maradona.
The plane, owned by a financial technology company, was on display at El Palomar Airport, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. The ceremony was attended by some of Maradona’s family members and former colleagues in the Argentine national team.
“We cannot believe or understand this madness,” said Dalma Maradona, one of Maradona’s daughters. “The love he has between people is beyond anything you can imagine.”
Dalma and her sister Gianna were the first to board the plane.
Visitors will have the opportunity to ask some pre-set questions on a hologram of Maradona inside the plane.
In turn, former star Sergio Batista, who was a teammate of Maradona in the Argentine national team, said, “When you are here in Argentina, you do not realize what Diego means to the rest of the world … This is a beautiful tribute that the whole world will witness. The world loved him.”
The Argentine football legend died at the age of 60, of a heart attack on the outskirts of the capital, Buenos Aires.
