Diego Maradona quietly turned 50 on Saturday, naming it the "saddest birthday of my life."
There was no big birthday bash as the Argentina football legend said he planned to spend the day at his home in the Buenos Aires suburb of Ezeiza, dpa reported.
Maradona has rarely appeared in public since his contract as Argentina coach was not renewed after a 4-0 quarter-final exit against Germany at the World Cup.
"It is the saddest birthday of my life, one that I don't wish to celebrate," the 1986 World Cup winner Maradona told Saturday's edition of the Ole sports daily.
"I began my private mourning when we were knocked out of the World Cup."