World Cup winner Luque dies of heart attack after contracting Covid

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentina World Cup winner Leopoldo Luque died on Monday of a heart attack while he was receiving treatment for Covid-19, hospital sources said.

Luque, who was 71, contracted coronavirus, which led to a pneumonia that provoked his death, a hospital source from the western city of Mendoza said.

Striker Luque scored some crucial goals as Argentina won the World Cup for the first time on home soil in 1978.

He scored Argentina’s opening goal of the tournament in a 2-1 win over Hungary and added three more, including a brace in the crucial 6-0 thrashing of Peru that sent them into the final.

In total, he netted 22 goals in 45 appearances for the national team and was top scorer at the 1975 Copa America.

He made his name in a five-year spell at Argentine giants River Plate, where he won five titles — Argentina awarded two a year at the time — and netted 75 times in 176 appearances.

He had a far more modest coaching career in his home province of Mendoza where he was in charge of several clubs including Argentino.