Maradona's "Hand of God" ball sold for $3.3 million

The ball used by Diego Maradona to score the famous "Hand of God" goal in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final has been sold at a US auction for $3.3 million (£2.5 million). Despite the significant price, the sale at Heritage Auctions fell short of expectations, as experts had anticipated a figure closer to $10 million (£7.3 million).

Goals that changed history

The match took place during the World Cup quarter-final, where Argentina defeated England 2-1. Maradona scored the first goal by hitting the ball with his hand over English goalkeeper Peter Shilton. After the match, the Argentine told reporters that the goal was scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God"—a phrase that immediately entered the history books of world football.

In that same match, Maradona scored another goal, dubbed the "Goal of the Century." During the spectacular run, he dribbled past five English field players, bypassed goalkeeper Shilton, and rolled the ball into the net. Heritage auction expert Mike Provenzal defined the ball as a completely unique item and likely the most significant football artifact in the world today.

The journey of the historic ball

The person who held the Adidas Azteca ball for more than three decades was Ali Bin Nasser, the Tunisian referee who officiated the historic match and took it home afterward. In 2023, Bin Nasser signed a letter confirming that this was the only ball used in the match, a fact verified by independent checks. Bin Nasser himself sold the ball in 2022 for $2.37 million.

The new owner attempted to put it up for sale again in 2023, but the sale did not proceed as bids failed to reach the set reserve price. For comparison, the shirt worn by Maradona in that famous match was sold in 2022 for a record sum of £7.1 million.