The ball that touched Diego Maradona's left hand during the infamous "Hand of God" goal was sold for $3,355,000. The Adidas Azteca ball was also used in the Argentine legend's second goal against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup. The auction was organized by the American auction house Heritage Auctions.
The sale took place on August 22, 2026, as part of the Summer Platinum Night sports auction. Bidding started at $2.5 million, and the preliminary estimate of the item reached $10 million. Thus, the final price remained significantly below expectations, but made the ball one of the most expensive football artifacts sold at auction.
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Топката от един от най-известните мачове
Аржентина и Англия се срещат на 22 юни 1986 г. на стадион „Ацтека“ в Мексико Сити пред 114 580 зрители. В 51-ата минута Марадона се възползва от опит за изчистване на английския полузащитник Стив Ходж, изпревари вратаря Питър Шилтън и насочи топката в мрежата с лявата си ръка.
Попадението е зачетено от съдийската бригада, в която участва и българският страничен съдия Богдан Дочев. Четири минути по-късно Марадона отбелязва втори гол след пробив през английската защита. Соло изпълнението остава известно като „Гола на века“.
Gary Lineker pulled one back in the 81st minute but England were unable to equalise. Argentina won 2-1, eliminated Belgium in the semi-finals and went on to win the title with a 3-2 victory over Germany in the final.
36 years with the match referee
After the match, the ball remained with Tunisian referee Ali bin Nasser, who kept it for 36 years. The item comes with documentation linking it to the match, and Heritage Auctions is presenting it as the ball used in both of Maradona's goals.
“This is a moment that even if you don't know anything about football, you've heard of it,“ said Mike Provenzale of Heritage Auctions, quoted by Reuters. According to him, the significance of the object goes beyond sport, as the story surrounding the goal is recognizable far beyond the football audience.
The sold ball is associated with two completely different faces of Maradona in the same match - the controversial handball and the impressive individual goal a few minutes later. It is this combination that turns ordinary match equipment into an object of world football history.
Sources: Reuters