Late legendary Argentinian footballer Diego Maradona hit the limelight again today after the auction of “Maradona’s Hand of God” football.
The football used during Diego Maradona’s iconic 1986 World Cup performance against England was sold for $3.35 million at auction. Heritage Auctions sold the Adidas Azteca. Before auction, experts matched the ball with photographs from the famous quarterfinal.
The final price fell below the auction house’s pre-sale estimate of at least $10 million.
Ball Carries Historic World Cup Legacy
Maradona scored twice as Argentina defeated England 2-1 in the quarterfinal. His opening goal became known as the “Hand of God” after he used his left hand to score.
Four minutes later, Maradona produced another legendary moment. He collected the ball in his own half, dribbled past five England players and scored.
FIFA later named the solo effort the World Cup “Goal of the Century”.
Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser kept the match ball for 36 years. He previously sold it at a London auction in 2022 for £2 million.
Maradona Memorabilia Draws Huge Prices
Meanwhile, the shirt Maradona wore during the match sold for nearly $9.3 million at Sotheby’s in 2022.
Heritage Auctions had described the football as potentially the most valuable football item ever sold.
However, the latest sale did not break the sports ball auction record. Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball fetched $4.392 million in 2024.
So far, Babe Ruth ruled the sports world with record revenue earned from the auction of 1932 World Series jersey. Jersey fetched $24.12 million in 2024, the highest-ever auction revenue.
