Diego Maradona didn't just play soccer. He was a religion in Argentina. So, when he died in a dingy rented house in 2020, the country didn't just mourn; it demanded heads on pikes. Today, April 14, 2026, the legal machine is finally grinding back to life in San Isidro. Seven medical professionals are walking back into a courtroom to face homicide charges after a judicial scandal flushed the first trial down the drain last year.
If you're wondering why this is happening now, it's because the original 2025 proceedings turned into a circus. One of the judges, Julieta Makintach, got caught filming a documentary inside the courthouse. You can't make this up. She was impeached, the trial was annulled, and everyone had to start from scratch. Now, three new judges—Alberto Gaig, Alberto Ortolani, and Pablo Rolón—are tasked with deciding if the "Golden Boy" was essentially left to rot.
The theater of horror
Prosecutors aren't pulling punches. They've called the house where Maradona spent his final days a "theater of horror." We aren't talking about a high-end recovery suite. We're talking about a man who had just undergone brain surgery to remove a blood clot, yet he was allegedly placed in a room without a proper bathroom and zero specialized equipment.
The core of the state's case is "homicide with eventual intent." It’s a heavy charge. It basically means the medical team knew Maradona might die due to their neglect, but they kept doing what they were doing anyway. They’re looking at 8 to 25 years in prison if the verdict doesn't go their way.
Who is actually on the hook
The list of defendants covers almost every aspect of his care. You've got the big names like neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov. But it doesn't stop there. The prosecution is also going after psychologist Carlos Díaz, physician Nancy Forlini, and nurses Ricardo Almirón and Mariano Perroni. Rounding out the group is physician Pedro Pablo Di Spagna.
There was supposed to be an eighth person, nurse Dahiana Madrid, but she’s headed for a separate jury trial later. For now, these seven have to explain how the most famous man in Argentina died of heart failure and pulmonary edema while supposedly under their "expert" watch.
The defense of the inevitable
I've seen enough of these cases to know where the defense is going. They're going to lean hard into the "Maradona was his own worst enemy" narrative. His lawyers argue he was a patient who was notoriously difficult to treat—a man who spent decades battling cocaine and alcohol addiction.
Vadim Mischanchuk, who represents Cosachov, has been vocal about this. The defense's stance is that Maradona’s body just gave out. They’re arguing it was a natural, progressive deterioration. They want to prove there was no "criminal plan" to kill him. Honestly, they’re betting on the idea that Maradona was a ticking time bomb and no amount of medical care could have stopped the clock.
What the medical board found
You can't ignore the 2021 medical report that started this whole mess. A panel of 20 experts spent months looking at the evidence and their conclusion was brutal. They used words like "inappropriate," "deficient," and "reckless."
The most damning part? The report claims Maradona was in agony for more than 12 hours before he actually died. Twelve hours. Think about that. While the world thought he was recovering, he was reportedly left without help in a state that the board described as being "abandoned to his fate."
Why this trial matters in 2026
This isn't just about a celebrity. It’s about accountability in a country where the powerful often walk free. The trial is scheduled to run with hearings every Tuesday and Thursday, with nearly 120 witnesses expected to take the stand. We're going to see his daughters, Dalma and Giannina, testify again. We're going to hear from forensic experts who will pick apart the final minutes of his life.
The judges want a verdict by early June. For the fans who still gather at his murals and the family that has spent five years seeking justice, that date can't come soon enough.
If you want to follow this closely, keep an eye on the witness testimony regarding the "home hospitalization" setup. That’s where the prosecution's case lives or dies. If they can prove the medical team lied about the equipment and staff present at the house, the "natural causes" defense will fall apart.
Next steps for following the case:
- Watch for the testimony of the 20-member medical board members; their cross-examination will be the technical heart of the trial.
- Monitor the separate jury trial dates for Dahiana Madrid, as that could reveal different evidence.
- Check the San Isidro court updates on Thursdays, as the week's second hearing usually contains the most significant witness pivots.
