Maradona's 'Hand Of God' Ball Sells For £2.5m At Auction
The Adidas Azteca ball Diego Maradona used to punch home his infamous 1986 World Cup goal against England has sold for £2.5m at auction, well short of the £7.3m it had been expected to fetch.
A ball that produced two of football's most famous goals
The Adidas Azteca ball Diego Maradona used to score his infamous "Hand of God" goal against England at the 1986 World Cup has sold for $3.3m (£2.5m) at auction, well below its pre-sale estimate.
The ball was used throughout Argentina's 2-1 quarter-final win over England in Mexico, including the moment Maradona punched it past goalkeeper Peter Shilton. The goal was allowed to stand, and Maradona later described it as being scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God."
The same ball also produced one of the tournament's most celebrated goals soon after, when Maradona ran past five England outfield players before rounding Shilton to make it 2-0.
Well short of its $10m estimate
Heritage Auctions, which ran Saturday's sale in the United States, had expected the ball to fetch around $10m (£7.3m). It eventually sold for $3.3m.
Heritage specialist Mike Provenzale had called it "arguably the most significant soccer item that exists" ahead of the auction.
A long journey from the pitch to the auction house
Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who took charge of the quarter-final, kept the ball after the final whistle and held onto it for more than three decades before selling it in 2022 for $2.37m (£1.74m). It returned to auction the following year but failed to meet its reserve price.
Saturday's sale still ranks it among the most valuable pieces of football memorabilia ever sold, though it remains behind the shirt Maradona wore in the same match, which sold for £7.1m in 2022.
Photo: BBC Sports | PA MEDIA