Maradona's statue passes through Naples, marking the Pibe's 65th birthday.

Naples prepares to celebrate Diego Armando Maradona in a special way. On October 30th, the day she would have turned 65, the statue dedicated to the Pibe de Oro will leave for 24 hours Spanish Neighborhoods to traverse the city on a symbolic tour. The bronze work created by the sculptor Dominic Sepe, kept in the Vignati Collection Museum, will retrace some of the most iconic places linking Maradona and Naples. A collective gesture of affection that annually renews the bond between the city and its eternal legend.

What is the significance of the Maradona tour?

The initiative was born to transform the celebration of the Argentine champion's birthday into a moment of citizen participationBringing the statue through the streets of Naples means to give back to the people a living image of Diego, not confined to a static monument but part of the urban fabric and everyday emotions. The artist Dominic Sepe he explained that the route represents a journey into collective memory: “Bringing Diego's statue to his hometown means keeping him present, walking among his fans.”

Also sharing the initiative Massimo Vignati, custodian of the museum dedicated to Maradona, who recalled how Diego remains “part of the Neapolitan family and identity”The project, born from the Maradona Museum, combines sport, art and popular culture in a story that renews the legend of the most beloved number 10 of all time.

What stages will the Maradona statue go through?

The tour will start on the morning of 30 October from Maradona Museum in vico Cariati at Spanish Neighborhoods and will touch the main symbolic points of the city. The statue will pass through Maschio Angioino, Piazza del Plebiscito, Largo Sermoneta , Diego's house on Via Scipione Capece, and then reach the Pausilipon in via Posillipo and the Maradona StadiumIn the afternoon he will stop at the Santobono, then to the Claudio Miccoli pitch in Poggioreale, where the new space given back to the children of the neighborhood with the donation of will be inaugurated 200 ballsThe journey will end in the evening at Largo Maradona.

Each stage will be a meeting point for citizens, fans, and visitors, accompanied by symbolic events and moments of collective participation. The initiative aims to renew the bond between Naples and its hero, uniting memory and future in a single urban narrative.

Why the homage to Maradona still speaks to the city

Five years after the disappearance of Diego Armando Maradona, the myth continues to be an integral part of the Neapolitan imagination. His figure does not belong only to football but to a a story of redemption, belonging and popular pride that spans generations. Every initiative dedicated to him becomes an opportunity to reaffirm Naples' collective identity, capable of transforming memory into participation.

"Maradona is a universal language,” explained a spokesperson for the Maradona Museum, "a symbol that belongs to everyoneWith this event, we want all of Naples, on the day of his birth, to once again feel part of his legend."

The travelling statue is therefore more than a tribute: it is a shared ritual that revives the bond between city and champion, between past and present, confirming how Diego remains an icon capable of uniting.