The ball that Diego Maradona used to score Argentina’s famed “Hand of God” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup was auctioned off on Wednesday and brought in $2,400,000 ($2,000,000).
The white Adidas “Azteca” ball, which belonged to Tunisian match official Ali Bin Nasser, was expected to sell for up to £3 million ($3.6 million) at Graham Budd Auctions in the UK.
It happens six months after the shirt that Diego Maradona wore in the historic quarterfinal in Mexico City sold at auction for over $9.3 million, more than twice what Sotheby’s had estimated it would fetch.
The 1986 match between Argentina and England featured the auctioned ball for the entire 90 minutes because it took place before the multi-ball system in football was implemented. It was inspired by the Aztec civilization’s architecture and art.
Political tensions following the Falklands War in 1982 contributed to the tense build-up of the match, which was ultimately defined by two contrasting goals scored by the late Maradona, who passed away at the age of 60 from heart failure in November 2020.
On November 1, 2022, the match ball from Argentina vs. England during the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will be auctioned off at Wembley Stadium in London. Photo courtesy of AFP
Maradona sprinted into the box for the opening goal, climbed up with England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, and slammed the ball home.
Later, he said that “a little bit of Maradona’s head, and a little bit of God’s hand” had gone into scoring the goal.
A 2002 FIFA survey deemed Maradona’s second goal the “Goal of the Century” when he outran five English players and Shilton just four minutes after the first.
After allowing Maradona’s contentious opening goal to stand, Bin Nasser helped Argentina win the rivalry game 2-1, and the team later won the World Cup.
Prior to the sale, Bin Nasser stated that he believed it was the appropriate moment to share the object with the world and expressed the hope that the buyer—who has not been identified—would put it on exhibit for the general public.
The 2022 World Cup, which begins on Sunday, will feature the shirt that was auctioned off in May.
Additionally, Bin Nasser defended his choice to permit Maradona’s contentious opening goal to stand.
“I didn’t have a clear view of the situation. Shilton and Maradona, the two players, were standing behind me and facing me.
“In accordance with FIFA’s directives announced prior to the competition, I turned to my linesman for confirmation of the goal’s legitimacy; he made his way back to the halfway line to indicate he was confident the goal should stand.
“Bobby Robson, the head coach of England, told me after the game: ‘You did a terrific job, but the linesman was careless.'”
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