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DIEGO MARADONA

Four years ago, the world discovered there were no limits to Diego Maradona`s greatness and smallness.

That revelation came during the World Cup finals, the quadrennial soccer tournament that exposes an athlete to more public scrutiny than any other sporting event in the world. Its star is acclaimed to an extent guaranteed by its audience: The 1990 World Cup in Italy, which begins June 8 in Milan and ends July 8 in Rome, is expected to attract a total of 26.5 billion TV viewers in more than 170 nations during the 52 matches.

Before the 1986 World Cup, Maradona was just a stubby Argentine street urchin who occasionally had performed magic with his feet before limited audiences in Europe and South America. During that World Cup, with the whole world watching, the brilliance and nature of his magic became evident. Some of his tricks, it turned out, were actually sorcery.

The many facets of Maradona`s craft reflected the split in his personality between Good Diego and Bad Diego. On and off the field, the question was which would prevail, and when he brought Argentina the world`s soccer championship, the answer was that Maradona had become something of a San Diego.

His apotheosis was such that it allowed him to play soccer with the gods. Having such teammates is how Maradona explained the blatantly illegal goal he scored with his fist during a 2-1 quarterfinal win over England.

”From the hand of God to the head of Maradona,” he said, without so much as a wink, even though replays showed him punching the ball into the net with his hand.

Four years later, a suddenly repentant Maradona acknowledged on Italian TV that God should not have been implicated. ”It was my hand, not his,”

Maradona said. ”I don`t want anyone to think God robbed someone . . . rather it was Maradona who did the robbing.”

What led to that confession is unclear. Acts of contrition aren`t Maradona`s style. He makes Jim McMahon look like an altar boy.

One thing is sure: The goal against England still counted, and so did everything that followed, including uncounted riches, two paternity suits (one dismissed, one still pending), a second apotheosis, two children out of wedlock with his future bride, allegations of involvement with the Neapolitan mob, a wedding feast of wretched excess, and selection as athlete of the decade by the British, whom he quite possibly had cheated out of the World Cup title.

That last honor may have come because Maradona`s other goal against England was a work of such untainted brilliance that it left the world blinded to his shortcomings. Such is the double standard often applied to singular talents, and it seems to apply particularly well to the 5-foot-5-inch Maradona, especially because he can double-talk himself in and out of trouble.

Argentina`s only chance

As the 1990 World Cup approaches, with Argentina scheduled to open the tournament against Cameroon June 8 in Milan, the boy who kicked himself out of the Buenos Aires slums has become the 29-year-old man-child whom Argentines expect to give the rest of the world the boot once again. Another

extraordinary performance by Maradona is Argentina`s only chance to win the 24-nation tournament.

Like all top international soccer players, Maradona plays for both a team in a professional league-in his case, Naples, of the Italian league-and for his country`s team in major tournaments such as the World Cup.

He had achieved national stardom as a teenager while playing for Boca Juniors in the Argentine professional league. He made international news when Boca sold him, at 21, in 1982, to Barcelona, of the Spanish league, for a then-record $7.7 million. Barcelona, in turn, sold him in 1984 for $10.8 million to Naples.

But it was his performance while playing for Argentina`s national team in the 1986 World Cup that made Maradona the world`s best-known-and most controversial-active athlete.

”I am always No. 1,” Maradona told the French newspaper L`Equipe.

”Maradona is unique.”

Backing up the boasts

He can defend that braggadocio with numbers:

– Net worth estimated at $30 million.

– Annual income from soccer estimated at $3 million.

– Annual income from endorsements estimated at another $3 million.

– Talk of the rights to his soccer contract being sold for $35 million.

Or with power:

– His Italian league team, Naples, changed its practice time from morning to afternoon because Maradona did not like to get up early.

– His Argentine national team will perform in the World Cup this year without talented forward Ramon Diaz because Maradona doesn`t like him, and not even the intervention of Argentine President Carlos Menem could change that.

Or with achievements:

– The World Cup triumph of 1986, when Maradona scored all four of Argentina`s goals in the quarterfinals and semifinals.

– The Italian league titles in 1987 and 1990, the first such titles won by Naples since the club was founded in 1926.

– The European Soccer Union Cup title in 1989, also a first for Naples.

No wonder Naples fans painted the face of the Greek statue in their municipal fountain in the team`s blue color to resemble the features of Maradona. No wonder he is called ”Pibe D`Oro,” or ”Golden Boy,” in Argentina.

”He is the only true genius in the game of soccer,” said Francisco Maturana, head coach of Colombia, also a World Cup qualifier. ”If he plays at a certain level, Argentina will go to that level as well.”

Maradona`s level was questionable until April, the last month of the Italian league season. Then, as the sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport put it, ”He gritted his teeth, trained like never before, and literally dragged his team and teammates to success.”

Said Italian adventurer Reinhold Messner, one of Maradona`s biggest fans: ”The others have to train every day, but he doesn`t, and he is still better. He`s fat, small, and out of shape, but he is always the best.”