Lionel Messi And His Argentina Team-mates Unveil New Statue of Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona was honoured by the Argentina football team as a statue of the legend was unveiled outside the new Madre de Ciudades Stadium in Santiago del Estero.

Thursday night's World Cup qualifier against Chile was the first time Argentina have played since Maradona died on November 25 last year.

Members of the team gathered around to witness the official unveiling of the statue, which shows Maradona stood with hands planted on hips and with a ball at his feet.

The players also wore shirts featuring a photograph of Maradona with the words '1960-∞' to reflect his eternal legacy in the country.

He died from heart failure at the age of 60 late last year and an investigation into the circumstances of his death concluded his medical team acted in an 'inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner.'

Maradona, who battled alcohol and drug addiction for many years, underwent brain surgery in November not long before his death.

The investigation found the 1986 World Cup winner was left in 'agony' for at least 12 hours and the care he received in his final hours was 'inadequate and incomplete.'

Argentina could only draw 1-1 with Chile, with former Arsenal and Manchester United player Alexis Sanchez cancelling out Lionel Messi's penalty opener.