The football with which Diego Maradona scored his controversial 'hand of God' goal during the 1986 World Cup quarter-final match against England has sold for £2.5 million. The ball was auctioned at Heritage Auctions in the United States on Saturday.
Maradona famously used his hand to punch the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton in Argentina's 2-1 victory during the match. Following the game, Maradona commented that the goal was scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." He later scored the 'goal of the century' in the same match, dribbling past five England players before scoring.
Though the final sale price was $3.3 million (£2.5 million), auction specialists had anticipated a higher figure, with expectations closer to $10 million (£7.3 million).
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." The Adidas Azteca ball was collected by the match referee, Tunisian Ali Bin Nasser, who kept it for over three decades. Bin Nasser confirmed in a signed letter in 2023 that it was the only ball used during the entire match, a claim supported by independent authentication.
This is not the first time the ball has been sold. Bin Nasser previously sold it in 2022 for $2.37 million (£1.74 million). Its subsequent owner attempted to auction it again in 2023, but bidding did not meet the reserve price.
In a separate auction in 2022, the shirt Maradona wore during the same 1986 match sold for £7.1 million.