In brief
A football tied to Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal at the 1986 World Cup unearthed on auction floor for £2.5 million, well below its $10 million estimate. The ball, played by Maradona to sneak past English keeper Peter Shilton, also links to his famous ‘goal of the century.’ Its authenticity was reaffirmed by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who carried it after the match until recently. The auction took place in the United States, and the ball had previously sold in 2022 for $2.37 million. The shirt Maradona wore in that match also fetched an impressive £7.1 million at auction.
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.
