The football used by Diego Maradona for his famous “Hand of God” goal in the 1986 World Cup sold at auction for £2.5 million.
Maradona famously punched the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton in the quarter‑final match that ended 2–1 for Argentina.
After the game he told reporters that the goal was “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.”
He later scored the “goal of the century,” dribbling past five England players before slotting the ball past Shilton.
Although it sold for $3.3 million (£2.5 million) at Heritage Auctions in the United States on Saturday, the ball had been expected to fetch closer to $10 million (£7.3 million).
Ahead of the auction, Heritage auctioneer Mike Provenzale described the ball as “a true one‑of‑one item, arguably the most significant soccer item that exists.”
The ball was collected by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who kept it after the match for more than three decades and confirmed it was the sole ball used during play in 2023.
Bin Nasser sold the ball in 2022 for $2.37 million (£1.74 million). A new owner tried to auction it again in 2023, but bids did not meet the reserve price.
The shirt Maradona wore in that match also fetched £7.1 million at auction in 2022.
