BUENOS AIRES: Thousands of fans gathered today to say goodbye to Argentine star Diego Maradona before he was buried outside the capital which also sparked a riot.

As the day wore on, the football legend was buried in a ceremony attended by family and close friends near the Bella Vista cemetery outside Buenos Aires.

Labeled as one of the world’s greatest football players, the passing of the 60-year-old World Cup winner sparked worldwide grief.

“I think Diego is immortal, he never died in our hearts. I am very sad because he made us very happy,” said 63-year-old bus driver Antonio Avila outside the cemetery.

However, the calm atmosphere in the cemetery is different from what happened in Buenos Aires when the police fired tear gas and rubber bullets when they collided with fans.

Tens of thousands of fans lined up early in the morning to see the coffin of the star wrapped in the Argentine flag and the No. 10 jersey at the Presidential Palace.