Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ Match Ball Sells for Record £2.5m at Auction

The football used in Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal during the 1986 World Cup quarter-final has sold for a record £2.5 million at auction, surpassing all previous expectations for a match ball.

The historic piece of sports memorabilia was sold by Heritage Auctions in the United States during a sale that ran from August 21 to 23, with the final price reflecting the enduring fascination with one of football’s most controversial moments.

The ball was used in the Argentina versus England quarter-final match in Mexico City on June 22, 1986, a game Argentina won 2-1.

Maradona scored the infamous goal when he punched the ball over England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, with the referee failing to spot the handball.

Minutes later, Maradona scored what was later voted the “Goal of the Century,” cementing the match’s place in football folklore.

The ball had been kept for over 30 years by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the match. Bin Nasser explained that he took the ball home after the match and had his three assistant referees sign it, with their signatures still visible on the slightly deflated ball.

He had previously sold the ball at auction in London in November 2022 for £2 million, and its new owner decided to put it back on the market.

Heritage Auctions, based in Dallas, Texas, set a starting price of $2.5 million for the ball, with online bidding beginning before the live auction.

The auction house estimated the ball could exceed $10 million, and it underwent extensive authentication by Sports Investors Authentication, which compared the ball’s markings and scuff marks against match photographs.

The ball bears the inscriptions “1986 World Cup Official Ball,” “Mexico Azteca,” and “Adidas”.

The sale comes four years after Maradona’s jersey from the same match sold for a record $9.3 million at Sotheby’s in May 2022, a price that remains the highest ever paid for a football shirt at auction.

That shirt had been owned by England midfielder Steve Hodge, who swapped shirts with Maradona after the game.

Bin Nasser has previously defended his decision to award the goal, stating that his position was not ideal for making the call and that he deferred to his assistant referee’s judgment, as per FIFA guidelines at the time. He received a score of 9.4 out of 10 from FIFA for his officiating in that match.

The ball’s sale adds to the growing list of Maradona-related memorabilia achieving record prices following the football legend’s death in November 2020.

While the ball’s final price of £2.5 million was significantly higher than the £2 million it achieved three years prior, the final amount still fell short of the $10 million valuation some had predicted.

Heritage Auctions will also add a buyer’s premium of 20% to the final hammer price for the winning bidder.