Diego Maradona's 'hand of God' ball will be auctioned
October 14, 2022
The ball that Diego Maradona used to score his infamous "hand of God" goal against England at the 1986 World Cup is up for auction in the UK. A former referee will cash in on the game's most notorious officiating error.
The infamous goal, scored in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England 'a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God'Image: Joe Pepler/empics/dpa/picture alliance
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The ball that Argentine footballer Diego Maradona used to score the infamous "hand of God" goal in the the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England has been put up for auction and is expected to sell for about $3 million (€3.07 million).
Graham Budd Auctions said on Thursday they expect the 36-year-old Adidas ball to fetch between $2.7 million (€2.76 million) and $3.3 million (€3.38 million) when it goes on sale in Britain on November 16.
The ball belongs to Tunisian ex-referee Ali Bin Nasser who was in charge of the game and missed surely the most famous handball in the history of football.
"This ball is part of international football history — it feels like the right time to be sharing it with the world," Bin Nasser said. "I hope the buyer is in a position to put it on display or share it with the public in some other way."
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How the 'hand of God' helped Maradona
Argentina's game against England at the 1986 World Cup is probably the most famous of their games en route to winning the trophy that year, although it wasn't the decisive final. Maradona scored both goals in Argentina's 2-1 win.
For the first goal, Maradona jumped as if to head the ball but instead punched it past goalkeeper Peter Shilton. England's players protested to Bin Nasser, but the goal stood.
Maradona joked afterward that it was scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God," and his name for the incident soon stuck.
The second goal was voted FIFA's "goal of the century" in a 2002 poll. Maradona dribbled the ball from deep in his own half past almost the entire England team, rounding goalkeeper Peter Shilton, and sliding the ball into an empty net.
Argentina won the game 2-1 and went on to lift the World Cup, and the tournament launched Maradona as one of the game's greatest players. He died in 2020 at the age of 60.
Boom for sports memorabilia
The shirt worn by Maradona in the same match was sold in May for $9.3 million (€9.5 million), at the time the highest price paid at auction for a piece of sports memorabilia.
However, that was beaten by a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card, which went for $12.6 million (€12.9 million) in New York in August.
Finally, a Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls jersey from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals fetched $10.1 million (€10.3 million) last month, double what auctioneers expected.
"2022 has been an amazing year in the sports memorabilia market with records broken on three occasions," auction house chairman Graham Budd said. "It's an exciting time in the market and we're wondering whether this famous football will break records as well."
dh/msh (AP, Reuters)
Genius and scandalous - Diego Maradona's life in pictures
One of the greatest footballers of all time has died. Diego Mardona was only 60 years old. The football world mourns a remarkable person, one full of magic and contradiction.
Image: Tareq Onu
Diego Armando Maradona
At the age of just 60 years old, Diego Armando Maradona passed away in his own home after suffering a heart attack. The entire football world, not just his homeland of Argentina, mourns the passing of one of the greatest ever to play the game.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/P. Seeger
Diego Maradona dribbles, the world watches
It all began at Argentinos Juniors. From there the talented Diego moved to Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires. It was his father's favorite club, and in 1981 he won the title. But Argentina was too small for Diego and soon he moved to Europe to join Barcelona.
Image: AP
Maradona clashes with Udo Lattek
The Catalonian club spent a record $7.3 million in 1982 for Maradona, but he was never happy in Barcelona. Maradona continually clashed with head coach Udo Lattek and the Argentine loved the nightlife in his new home. After three years, he left and Maradona made perhaps the best decision of his career.
Image: imago/Werek
Diego Maradona, Napoli's hero
In July 1984, Maradona moved to Napoli for a record sum of $10.5 million. The Italian club had never been champions before his arrival and had just escaped relegation. Between 1984 and 1991, Maradona helped the club to two league titles and a UEFA Cup win in 1989.
Image: picture alliance / Mark Leech / Offside
Napoli fans celebrate Maradona
In Naples, Maradona remains a hero - but his escapades are famous and notorious. He took cocaine and got close to the local mafia. Maradona enjoyed life to the full, right on the edge of legality. His popularity remained though.
Image: Getty Images
Diego Maradona and the World Cup title
No other player impacted a World Cup as Maradona did in 1986. He won the tournament with Argentina and became the superstar of football. He scored his infamous "Hand of God" against England in the quarterfinals, but followed it with another goal in the same game that went down as one of the most spectacular goals ever. He was named player of the tournament.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/C. Fumagalli
Maradonas toughest defeat
One of the hardest moments in Maradona's playing career came in the lost 1990 World Cup final against West Germany in Italy. Guido Buchwald marked him out of the game and Andreas Brehme scored from the spot to give Germany the glory and spoil Maradona's dream of a second World Cup.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
The unpredictable Maradona
At club level, Maradona moved to Sevilla in 1992 before moving back home to Argentina. In February 1992, he fired an air rifle at journalists who had besieged his villa near Buenos Aires and was given a suspended jail sentence of two years and 10 months.
Image: picture-alliance/AFP
Maradona, the fan
Maradona played his last game on October 25, 1997 for Boca Juniors, who he always supported. Beforehand he had been suspended for doping for 15 months. In order to avoid further suspensions, he announced his retirement on October 30, 1997. Aged 37, Maradona's playing career full of scandal and skill had come to an end.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/N. Pisarenko
Maradona the coach
In October 2008, Maradona was named head coach of Argentina, despite having little coaching experience. His side suffered at the 2010 World Cup, losing 4-0 to Germany in the quarterfinal and eventually he was fired. He coached clubs in Mexico and elsewhere but the same success he had in his playing days escaped him.
Image: DANIEL GARCIA/AFP/Getty Images
Diego Maradona and politics
After his playing career, Maradona kept making headlines - such as when he visited Cuba's chief of state Fidel Castro. There were regular reports of big parties and excessive use of drugs and alcohol. Wherever he was welcome, he went.
Image: AP
Diego Maradona lived it all
Maradona's lifestyle led to health issues, including his weight. More than once he dodged death, but then came November 2020. After having a blood clot removed from his brain, Maradona suffered a heart attack on November 25 and died aged 60.
