Big Boots to Fill

This is the story of Argentina’s search for an heir to the great Diego Maradona, of all the highly touted players who have come and gone, and their struggles with the pressure of living up to the legend of the Argentine number 10 shirt. It was not until the emergence of Lionel Messi that the country found a worthy successor.

---

Big Boots to Fill is the story of Argentina's search for a worthy heir to the great Diego Maradona. When Maradona led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 and Napoli to their first Italian title a year later, he was regarded by many as the greatest footballer of all time. Since then, in his homeland of Argentina, generations of players have been hyped as the 'new Maradona'. Some of them achieved eminence in their own right - players like the great Juan Román Riquelme, troubled Ariel Ortega, beloved Carlos Tevez and magical Pablo Aimar. Others wilted under the huge weight of expectation and ended their careers in obscure backwaters, playing in lower leagues. It was not until the emergence of Lionel Messi that the country had a worthy wearer of the sobriquet 'the new Maradona'. This is the tale of Argentinian football between Maradona and Messi, of all the highly touted players who have come and gone in between, and their struggles with the pressure of living up to the legend of the Argentine number 10 shirt.