Maradona trademark battle pits heirs against ex-lawyer across continents

An Argentine court ordered Matías Morla, Diego Maradona’s former lawyer, and Maradona’s sisters Rita Mabel and Claudia Norma Maradona to stand trial in April 2026 over allegations of fraudulent administration tied to the late star’s brand and trademarks. The case keeps one of football’s most valuable names in the dock years after Maradona’s death and places control of his image, licensing rights and commercial legacy at the center of a transcontinental legal fight.

Maradona registered his own name as a trademark with the European Union Intellectual Property Office in 2008, covering clothing, footwear, hospitality and IT services. That registration turned his identity into a commercial asset while he was still alive, a move that now sits at the heart of competing claims from his heirs and from Morla, who sought to keep the rights inside a company he created after Maradona died.

Morla applied in January 2021 to transfer the trademark to Sattvica, the company he created, after Maradona died at age 60 on November 25, 2020. His move triggered a fight with Maradona’s heirs, who have sought to control the commercial use of his name and likeness. In November 2023, the General Court of the European Union ruled that Sattvica was not entitled to the trademark, siding with the heirs in one of the key rulings shaping the dispute.

The legal conflict has since widened beyond the trademark itself. The battle now reaches across the European Union and Argentina, with the Maradona family divided over who can profit from the brand of a man whose image remains a powerful asset in licensing, advertising and even AI-generated campaigns. Dalma Maradona and Giannina Maradona have been publicly tied to the struggle over control of the Maradona name, underscoring how the fight has become as much a family rupture as a commercial contest.

The Argentine case also places Maradona’s sisters at the center of the inquiry, with prosecutors arguing that the rights should have passed to his legitimate heirs. The broader scramble over Maradona’s financial legacy, including image rights and memorabilia, shows how a global icon’s posthumous value can keep rising long after death, drawing heirs, lawyers and investors into prolonged battles over who owns the brand.