Diego Maradona kicked off his 50^th birthday celebrations yesterday in style, as selected guests were invited to his house in Buenos Aires to mark the occasion.  PUMA presented Maradona with a giant cake in the shape of his favorite football boot, the PUMA King, and presented him with items from a new collection dedicated to one of the greatest footballers ever to have played the game.

Check it out:

PUMA COMMEMORATES MARADONA’S 50^TH BIRTHDAY

Buenos Aires, Argentina (29 October, 2010) — Diego Maradona kicked off his 50^th birthday celebrations yesterday in style, as selected guests were invited to his house in Buenos Aires to mark the occasion.  PUMA presented Maradona with a giant cake in the shape of his favorite football boot, the PUMA King, and presented him with items from a new collection dedicated to one of the greatest footballers ever to have played the game.

Maradona wore PUMA boots throughout his career, having a passion for the brand that never wavered.  In recognition of this, the sportlifestyle brand is launching a special collection of King Diego products which will hit retailers worldwide on his actual birthday on Saturday.  Maradona was presented with these products for the first time, and was clearly delighted with what he saw.

“I’m proud and honored to see this collection, and pleased with the styles that PUMA has created to acknowledge my birthday,” said Diego Maradona.  “I wore PUMA throughout my career as they were the boots that were most comfortable and gave me the greatest contact with the ball, it’s nice to see the quality of these boots and training wear are still top quality.”

PUMA is also celebrating online by launching an online application housed on the PUMA Football Facebook page in which people are encouraged to join Maradona in the world’s largest game of football “juggling” on Facebook.  The rules are simple: start or join a juggle and fans have 30 minutes to pass on the video to a friend through Facebook. The longer the video is passed, the longer the ball is kept up, and the greater chance of reigning the leaderboard. If the 30 minutes run out, then the ball is dropped and “game“ over.

The PUMA Diego collection is comprised of the following styles:

King  Diego Finale iFG boot

PUMA’s King  Diego Finale iFG boot combines the latest in PUMA lightweight technology, featuring a premium K-Leather with a lightweight thermoplastic elastomer injected outsole.  The boot fuses Argentina’s team colours with a Maradona logo and signature to create a boot worthy of the King himself.

King Diego Finale Trainer

Made with leather, it boasts a Maradona badge and signature so you can pay your respects to one of the greatest footballers in the history of the game without sacrificing your style.

King Diego Graphic Tee

Inspired by his adoring fans, PUMA created this one-of-a-kind tee using personal messages and greetings from Diego’s fans during his golden years.

King Diego Duffle Bag

This carry-all bag is as unique as it sounds.  Sporting a copy of Diego Maradona’s signature, the vintage 80’s styling uses Maradona’s number 10 and Argentina’s national colors. This bag is essential for any serious football player, offering plenty of room with a two-way opening zip into the main compartment, a front slip zipped pocket and webbed handles. Retro elegance at its finest.

King Diego Ball

Another way to honor one of the greatest footballers ever to play the game, the ball says it all. This hand -stitched, 32 panel ball is made to withstand the toughest shots. Multilayered backing gives the King Diego Ball enhanced stability and aerodynamics, so you can make your best shot.

King Diego Jacket

The King Diego Jacket harkens back to Maradona’s days on the pitch.  PUMA’s iconic cat embroidery, the Maradona badge on the left chest and the embroidered Maradona signature on the upper back make this jacket as unique as the great footballer himself. The number 10 badge and national team colours are sure to make you feel like an icon while wearing it.

The PUMA Diego collection will be available from Saturday 30 October in retailers worldwide.  For more information, visit www.puma.com/football, join our fan page at www.facebook.com/pumafootball and follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/pumafootball.

Nicely..

May I just add that I picked up a few pairs from the new Puma Suede range. Very nice..

VERY NICE INDEED!