26 years have passed since the US denied Diego Maradona a visa
After Maradona tested positive for using the banned drug ephedrine during the World Cup in 1994 he never returned to the United States.
Diego Maradona tested positive for using the banned drug ephedrine in the 1994 World Cup in the United States. after Argentina's second game of the group stage against Nigeria. As a result, the star player was separated from the team, banned from the World Cup and the United States.
Ephedrine is a common nasal decongestant used to treat ashtam, hay fever and allergies, so when the results came positive he denied the use of any illegal substance. “I didn’t use any drugs intentionally, it was a decongestant that I used. They cut off my legs,” said Maradona at the time.
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Banned from the United States
After he was banned from the World Cup in 1994, Maradona lost his visa and never set foot in the United States again. He tried to get a visa to enter the US in 2018, but once again it was denied because he insulted President Donald Trump.
“Donald Trump is a chirolita,” said the Argentine legend during an interview for TeleSur while he was in Venezuela.
This is a common insult in Argentina that refers to people who are under the orders of others as puppets. Sadly, Maradona passed away on 25 November after suffering cardiac arrest, 26 years on since he last set foot in the United States.