The Adidas Azteca ball used for Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal against England at the 1986 World Cup sold for $3.35 million (£2.5m), almost £5m below its valuation.
The sale took place on Saturday evening through Heritage Auctions, which had described the match ball as “the most significant football” and estimated its worth at $10m (£7.3m). Bidding began at $2.5m (£1.8m).
The goals that made the ball famous
- Maradona scored twice as Argentina defeated England 2-1 in their quarter-final in 1986. His first strike became known as the “Hand of God” after he used his hand to direct the ball beyond England goalkeeper Peter Shelton.
- Following the match, Maradona, who died in November 2020, described the goal by saying it came “a little from the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God.”
- He added a second goal that was later named FIFA’s “Goal of the Century”. Collecting possession near halfway, Maradona surged past several England players before lifting the ball over Shelton to put Argentina 2-0 ahead.
Ali Bin Nasser of Tunisia, the referee for the contest, took possession of the ball after the final whistle and retained it for more than 30 years.
In 2023, Bin Nasser signed a statement confirming that the ball was the sole one used during the game. Additional independent checks also authenticated it.
Bin Nasser had previously sold the ball in 2022 for $2.37m (£1.74m). The subsequent owner offered it at auction again in 2023, but the item failed to sell because the bids did not reach the required reserve.
Maradona’s shirt from that England match fetched $9.28m (£7.1m) at a 2022 Sotheby’s auction in London, setting a world record at the time.
