The Hall of Fame is for footballers who have defined an era, meaning there is, of course, a place for the player widely regarded as the greatest of all time. There is, in fact, a before and after Diego Armando Maradona, a character so compelling that the story of the 20th century could not be written without devoting at least a chapter to his exploits on and off the field.
Maradona the player and Maradona the man have both been immortalised in books, songs, films, paintings, murals and statues all across the world. He was an icon, a legend, a talent so pure that he could do things with a football that appeared to defy the laws of physics. Basically, Maradona made the impossible possible - in every sense.
For millions of people, particularly the working class from which he came, Maradona was more than a mere footballer. Because of his rebellious nature, he became - and remains - a source of inspiration, a spectacular symbol of hope and defiance.
He won titles, albeit much less than other greats of the game, by choosing the underdogs and challenging the established order. He also won with his national team, taking a group of modest players to the top of the world.
More than anything else, though, Maradona was a champion of the people, a very human god that demonstrated, like ever before or since, how a single individual can sometimes make history in a team sport.