The football used by Diego Maradona during Argentina’s infamous “Hand of God” goal against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup has been sold for £2.5 million at an auction in the United States.
The Adidas Azteca ball was purchased for $3.3 million at Heritage Auctions on Saturday, although the final price was significantly below the estimated $10 million, equivalent to about £7.3 million.
The historic ball was used during Argentina’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, a match widely regarded as one of the most memorable games in World Cup history.
Maradona scored both goals for Argentina, with his first becoming one of football’s most controversial moments. The legendary forward appeared to use his hand to knock the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, but the referee failed to detect the offence and awarded the goal.
Maradona later famously described the goal as being scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”, giving rise to its enduring nickname.
Only a few minutes later, Maradona produced another iconic moment. He collected the ball inside Argentina’s half, dribbled past five England players, rounded Shilton and finished into the net. The goal was subsequently named the “Goal of the Century”.
The ball remained with Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser for more than 30 years after the match. Bin Nasser eventually sold it in 2022 for $2.37 million, approximately £1.74 million.
It was offered for auction again the following year, but failed to sell after no bidder reached the reserve price.
Before the latest sale, Heritage Auctions specialist Mike Provenzale described the ball as a unique piece of football history.
Bin Nasser had also signed a letter in 2023 confirming that the Adidas Azteca was the only ball used during the historic match. The claim was subsequently supported by independent authentication.
The latest sale comes four years after another famous item from the same game broke an auction record. Maradona’s Argentina shirt from the England quarter-final was sold for £7.1 million in 2022.
The latest auction further highlights the enduring global value of memorabilia connected to one of the most iconic matches and players in football history.
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