The football used when Argentine football icon Diego Maradona scored his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup has sold for £2.5 million at auction, four decades after the controversial moment.
The Adidas Azteca ball was sold on Saturday by Heritage Auctions in the United States.
The ball had previously been auctioned for £1.74 million in 2022 after being put up for sale by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the quarter-final match in Mexico and kept the ball for more than 30 years.
Bin Nasser later signed an official letter in 2023 confirming that the Adidas Azteca was the ball used during the match.
Maradona’s controversial goal came with Argentina trailing England in the quarter-final.
The Argentine forward rose above England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and appeared to use his hand to punch the ball into the net, giving Argentina an equaliser.
The goal was allowed to stand despite England’s protests, with Maradona later describing it as being scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”.
The Argentine captain went on to score another memorable goal in the match, dribbling past several England players before finding the net to give his team a 2-1 victory.
The win sent Argentina into the semi-finals, with the team eventually going on to win the 1986 World Cup.
Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal remains one of the most controversial and iconic moments in World Cup history, while the ball used in the match has become one of football’s most valuable pieces of memorabilia.
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