Reports: Diego Maradona is being paid ridiculous money to watch the World Cup
Diego Maradona is undeniably one of the greatest footballers to have graced the sport since its inception and the legendary Argentinian is proving to be the centre of attraction off the pitch as well.
Roped in as a part of FIFA President, Gianni Infantino's legends scheme, Maradona has been present at every Argentina game in the FIFA World Cup 2018.
As per this scheme, at least 1 former superstar has been invited for their respective nation's matches at the tournament as an ambassador. This aims at essentially accentuating the attention around the tournament by introducing a healthy mix of the past and present.
While other former superstars like Carlos Valderrama, Ronaldo, Carles Puyol, Iker Casillas, Xavi and Samuel Eto'o have also been present, nobody has grabbed the spotlight quite like Maradona.
According to a number of reports, FIFA are reportedly paying the Argentine legend a whopping sum of £10,000 per game and have also taken care of all other expenditures which include travel and accommodation costs.
Now, FIFA certainly would've hoped that El Diego's presence is worth that much. However, Maradona has already gone on to become a rather scandalous figure at the competition, taking naps during games, puffing on cigars within a non-smoking stadium, making racist gestures aimed at South Korean fans while also waving rude hand gestures after Argentina's victory over Nigeria.
Further, the 57-year-old has was also seen extremely intoxicated, having allegedly binged on white wine. If that wasn't enough, he also had to be rushed to a hospital after the Argentina v Nigeria game, causing plenty of drama.
Now, FIFA are bound to be unhappy with the legend's behaviour and as per reports from The Telegraph, Maradona's role as a paid ambassador is reportedly under scrutiny.
One thing is for certain, though. FIFA expected Maradona to bring attention to world football's greatest competition, and Maradona has undoubtedly done so, albeit controversially.