Argentine health insurance company Swiss Medical acknowledged that medical tests presented during the trial concerning Diego Maradona's death were those of his father, Diego Salustiano Maradona, not the soccer legend himself [1, 2, 3]. The results mistakenly filed under Diego Armando Maradona's name actually belonged to his father, who died in 2015 [1, 2, 3].
The error came to light last week when a defense lawyer representing one of the seven healthcare professionals on trial discovered the mix-up [1, 2, 3]. The trial had been focusing heavily on kidney health issues, with nephrologists testifying that doctors should have paid greater attention to Maradona's renal condition. However, those analyses were based on the wrong medical test results [1, 2, 3].
Maradona died in November 2020 at age 60 from heart failure and acute pulmonary edema at a rented home in Tigre, a suburb of Buenos Aires, two weeks after brain clot surgery [1, 2, 3]. His medical team faces charges of grossly inadequate care leading to his death, charges which they deny [1, 2, 3].
The revelation of the test mix-up caused a one-week suspension of the trial proceedings and significant embarrassment for the court, coming after a prior trial collapse [1, 2, 3]. The latest trial began in April 2026 and is expected to resume on August 27 with hearings continuing at least into September [1, 2, 3].
