Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' Football Sells for £2.5m
The football with which Diego Maradona scored his famous 'hand of God' goal at the 1986 World Cup has sold at auction for £2.5m.
Maradona famously punched the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton in Argentina's 2-1 quarter-final win over England. After the game, he told reporters it had been scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." He later scored what became known as the 'goal of the century' in the same game.
Though it sold for $3.3m (£2.5m) at Heritage Auctions in the United States on Saturday, the ball had been expected to fetch nearer $10m (£7.3m).
Mike Provenzale, a specialist auctioneer at Heritage, described the item as "a true one-of-one item. Arguably the most significant soccer item that exists."
Tunisian Ali Bin Nasser, who refereed the match in 1986, collected the Adidas Azteca ball and kept it for over three decades. In 2023, he confirmed its authenticity and signed a letter stating it was the only ball used during the match.
Bin Nasser sold the ball in 2022 for $2.37m (£1.74m), but it did not meet the minimum bid at its subsequent auction in 2023.
The shirt worn by Maradona during the same match sold for £7.1m at auction in 2022.