The 2021 Maradona Cup was the 1st edition of the , an annual club friendly football match established to honor late Argentine superstar Diego Maradona, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.[1][2][3][4] The first edition will be contested by FC Barcelona and Boca Juniors, two of the clubs where Maradona played during his career.[5]
Boca Juniors and Barcelona were two of the key clubs in the career of Maradona. In the case of Boca Juniors, Maradona played there after being traded from Argentinos Juniors, in 1981.[11][12] He spent only one year with the team, winning the 1981 Metropolitano championship, then returning in 1995 and playing there until his official retirement in 1997. On the other hand, Barcelona was the first European club where Maradona played after his tenure on Boca Juniors. With Barcelona, where he played two seasons, Maradona won the Copa del Rey, Supercopa and Copa de la Liga.[13]
After the match ended in a 1–1 draw, Boca Juniors beat Barcelona 4–2 on penalties to win the Maradona Cup trophy.[14][15]