Maradona's 'Hand of God' Ball Sells for $3.3 Million
Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball sells for £2.5m
The football used in Diego Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' goal at the 1986 FIFA World Cup sold for $3.3 million at Heritage Auctions in the United States on Saturday, falling short of its $10 million estimate.
Maradona scored the controversial goal by punching the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton in Argentina's 2-1 quarter-final victory. After the match, Maradona attributed the goal to both himself and "the hand of God." He later scored a second goal in the same game, dribbling past five English defenders in what became known as the "goal of the century."
Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the match, kept the Adidas Azteca ball for over 30 years before selling it in 2022 for $2.37 million. The new owner put it up for auction in 2023 but it failed to meet its reserve price. The ball has been authenticated as the only one used during the match.