May 31, 2002

Diego Maradona will travel to the Far East for the World Cup, having been granted a visa for Korea, despite being turned down by Japan.

The Argentine soccer legend, who captained his country to World Cup victory in 1986, recently applied for a visa to enter Korea during the World Cup and officials in Seoul have revealed that they have decided to approve his papers.

According to reports, Korean officials granted Maradona's application to enter the country on the grounds that he could make a "big contribution" to the interest in the event locally.

Japan turned down Maradona's application to work in the country during the World Cup as a TV commentator. All of Argentina's matches, including any knock-out stage games, will take place in Japan.

Teamtalk