Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ World Cup Football Sells at Auction for $3.3 Million

The match football used by Diego Maradona during his famous “Hand of God” goal at the 1986 World Cup has sold at auction in the United States for $3.3 million (£2.5 million). The sale took place on Saturday at Heritage Auctions, though the final price fell significantly short of expectations. Before the auction, the item had been estimated to bring in a figure nearer to $10 million (£7.3 million).

The item is an Adidas Azteca model that was utilized throughout the 1986 quarter-final contest between Argentina and England. Ahead of the bidding, Mike Provenzale, a specialist auctioneer working for Heritage Auctions, told Reuters that the ball is “a true one-of-one item” and “arguably the most significant soccer item that exists.”

During the iconic 1986 match, which Argentina won 2-1, Maradona scored the controversial opening goal by punching the ball past English goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Addressing media members following the victory, Maradona explained his score by saying it occurred “a little with the head of Maradona” and “a little with the hand of God.”

Later in the same quarter-final encounter, Maradona scored a second effort that became known as the “goal of the century.” To complete the play, the forward dribbled past five England outfield players before sliding the ball past Shilton.

The match ball was originally retrieved at full-time by the game’s referee, Ali Bin Nasser of Tunisia. Bin Nasser retained the football for more than three decades. In 2023, the referee signed a written confirmation stating that it was the only ball used during the quarter-final match. That claim was further supported by independent authentication procedures.

Bin Nasser eventually parted with the football in 2022, selling it for $2.37 million (£1.74 million). The person who bought the ball from the referee attempted to re-auction it the following year, in 2023. However, that previous auction ended without a sale because the bids received did not reach the minimum reserve value set by the seller.

The ball is not the only high-profile piece of memorabilia from the 1986 match to fetch a major sum at auction. The jersey worn by Maradona during the same quarter-final against England was previously sold at auction in 2022, commanding a final price of £7.1 million.

Background

The 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England is regarded as one of the most famous fixtures in international football history. Argentina’s 2-1 victory was defined by two landmark goals from Diego Maradona: a controversial opener scored illegally with his hand that was missed by match officials, and an extraordinary individual effort shortly after that is widely considered one of the greatest goals ever scored. Key physical artifacts from the match have become among the world’s most valuable sports memorabilia.