Maradona steps out for his last dance

This film, called Diego's Last Dance, stars one of football's greatest ever players in one of his final acts on a football pitch.

Created and directed by Canadian filmmaker Adrijan Assoufi in collaboration with football media company COPA90, the six-minute film explores the lasting impact Diego Maradona's one-off appearance, on September 12 1996, had on Canadian soccer. Now, 25 years later, Diego’s Last Dance combines exclusive interviews with the key figures and players involved with the game, as well as footage from the match and changing room.

Convinced by his brother, Toronto Italia player Raul ‘Lalo’ Maradona, Diego came out of semi-retirement to sign a professional contract for one match, having been temporarily released from his agreement with Boca Juniors. Diego represented Toronto Italia versus the Canadian National Soccer League All Star Team and rolled back the years to captivate the sell-out crowd. 

Assoufi created the film to explore and document the relatively untold stories of Canadian soccer culture. Assoufi previously collaborated with COPA90 as part of the Creator Commissions film series to release Playing Through Blizzards: Football In The Arctic, a film which illuminated the fascinating culture of football within the Arctic’s Innuit communities.

“The incredible story of Diego Maradona’s match here always touched me as one that had rarely been told, so Diego’s Last Dance is a celebration of Canadian soccer culture that may otherwise have been missed for future generations," said Assoufi. "Twenty-five years after the event Canadian football is truly beginning to thrive, and I’m delighted that in partnership with COPA90 we’ve been able to mark one of the moments that kicked it all off.”