Diego Maradona no more: Pele to Messi & Man Utd to Juve, Football hails its greatest ever

The world of football was dealt an irreplaceable loss with the untimely demise of Argentine icon Diego Maradona - who breathed his last on Wednesday at his hometown of Buenos Aires at the all-too-early age of just 60. Tributes flew in from all across the globe after the news of Diego Maradona's cardiac arrest became public knowledge.

Barcelona and Argentina captain Lionel Messi who is widely hailed as Maradona's footballing heir paid a fitting tribute to El Diego, suggesting that the Napoli legend will always remain in their hearts. Just like Maradona, the left-footed Messi has captained Argentina to the World Cup final and has also played for Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo also paid his tribute to the 1986 World Cup winner, writing that the Argentine will never be forgotten and sharing a picture together.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic hailed Deigo Maradona as immortal - a heady compliment coming from Zlatan

The Argentine national team paid tribute to their icon by biding him goodbye, suggesting that the captain who led the Albiceleste to two successive World Cup finals will always be eternal in the hearts of football fans.

Brazilian football legend Pele, who for decades was locked in rivalry with Maradona for the title of 'greatest footballer ever' though they were essentially of different generations and never competed on the field, also expressed his profound grief on social media.

Liverpool paid tribute to Maradona hailing him as a 'true legend'. 

Premier League club Arsenal hailed the el Deigo as an 'inspiration across the globe', sharing a picture of two of their greatest 'Invincibles' Thierry Henry and Robert Pires with Maradona between them. 

Former German footballer Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who was the captain of the West Germany side that lost 3-2 to Argentina in 1986 World cup finals, said that Maradona had won the hearts of all those who loved football. Bayern Munich, whose German players took to the field against Maradona multiple times put out a rich tribute, with quotes from Lothar Matthaus, Oliver Kahn and others, apart from Rummenigge who was in his prime considered a rival to Maradona.

Argentine club River Plate paid tribute to Maradona and bid goodbye to the legend. Maradona had played for Boca Juniors - River Plate's sworn rivals. 

'An honour to have faced you, Diego': AC Milan  - a club that has over the decades become synonymous with the world's best defenders - paid tribute to perhaps the most dangerous attacker football has ever seen.

'Every era has had great number 10s, but very few have defined an era': Inter Milan wrote, paying tribute to Diego Maradona.

AS Roma hailed Maradona as a genius with the ball at his feet and as one of the greatest to have played the game. 

Italian giants Juventus shared a video of Maradona doing what he did the best to pay tribute to the Argentine legend - kicking in a goal clearing a wall of defenders. Juventus were considered the biggest club in the world with Platini at the helm when Maradona joined lowly Napoli. He unseated them

Boca Juniors, Maradona's former club, conveyed their eternal gratitude to the El Diego.

LaLiga heavyweights Barcelona condoled the demise of their former player & an icon of the game Diego Maradona. 

Napoli, of course, paid an emotional tribute to the icon by sharing a photo of El Deigo in the club's jersey and wrote 'forever', going on to share just about every meaningful tribute posted about him. 

The Brazilian Football Confederation noted that 'Football is mourning' with the untimely demise of Deigo Maradona as the body bid goodbye to the South American legend. 

Premier League giants Manchester United condoled the demise of Maradona and said that football had lost one of its greatest icons, posting a picture of Maradona in his Barcelona days playing against Old Trafford legend and former England Captain Bryan Robson. 

Renowned coach Carlo Ancelloti condoled the demise of Maradona and said that the legend was always a genius.