Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball changes hands again for £2.5m

The ball used by Diego Maradona to score Argentina’s controversial “Hand of God” goal against England at the 1986 World Cup has been sold at auction in the United States for £2.5m.

The Adidas Azteca ball reached $3.3m, equivalent to about £2.5m, in a sale conducted by Heritage Auctions. However, the final price was well below expectations, with the item previously believed to have the potential to sell for close to $10m, or approximately £7.3m.

Its significance comes from its use during Argentina’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over England at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The match featured one of the most disputed moments in World Cup history when Maradona used his hand to help the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

The Tunisian referee, Ali Bin Nasser, awarded the goal despite protests from the England players. After the game, Maradona famously described it as having come “a little by the head of Maradona and a little by the hand of God”. The phrase became permanently associated with the goal.

Maradona’s contribution to the match did not end there. Only a few minutes later, he scored Argentina’s second goal after carrying the ball from the halfway line, evading five England players and rounding Shilton before finding the net.

That effort later became known as the “Goal of the Century” and has been widely regarded as one of the greatest goals in World Cup and football history.

Ball’s disputed auction history

Bin Nasser kept the ball after the final whistle and retained it for more than three decades. It was first sold by him in 2022 for $2.37m, equivalent to about £1.74m.

The ball was put up for auction again in 2023, but the sale was cancelled after the bids failed to meet the minimum price set by its owner at the time.

In the same year, Bin Nasser signed a letter confirming that the Adidas Azteca was the only ball used during the match. Independent authentication checks later supported its authenticity.

Before the latest auction, Heritage Auctions described the item as unique because it was connected with two of the most famous goals in World Cup history. Both of Argentina’s goals in the historic match were scored by Maradona.

Mike Provenzali, a specialist with Heritage Auctions, said before the sale that the ball represented an exceptional piece of football history and could be the most important football memorabilia item ever offered.

The comments were reported by BBC Sport.

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Although the ball achieved a substantial price, it fell well short of the record set by Maradona’s shirt from the same match. That shirt sold for £7.1m in 2022, making it one of the most expensive football items ever sold at public auction.

Argentina went on to continue their run at the 1986 World Cup after eliminating England. They eventually won the tournament for the second time in their history by beating West Germany 3-2 in the final.

The ball connected with one of the most controversial goals in World Cup history has now become another piece of Maradona’s legacy, changing ownership at auction for £2.5m.