Maradona 'Hand of God' ball sells for £2.5m

sportsAug 24, 20262798

The Adidas Azteca ball Diego Maradona used to score his infamous 'Hand of God' goal in Argentina's 2-1 1986 World Cup quarter-final win over England sold at Heritage Auctions in the United States for £2.5 million (reported as $3.3 million) on Saturday. Maradona punched the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton, later saying it had been scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God." He also scored the match's other landmark strike, the "goal of the century," dribbling past five England outfield players before beating Shilton. Heritage specialist Mike Provenzale called the ball "a true one-of-one item" and "arguably the most significant soccer item that exists." Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser collected the ball at full-time, kept it for more than three decades and in 2023 signed a letter confirming it was the only ball used in the match; independent authentication has also supported its provenance. Bin Nasser sold the ball in 2022 for $2.37 million (about £1.74 million) and the subsequent owner reoffered it in 2023 but failed to meet a reserve. The final sale fell well short of pre-auction expectations, which had placed its likely value nearer $10 million (about £7.3 million).

Reece Dinsdale

@reecedinsdale.bsky.social

Maradona's 'Hand of God' ball sells for £2.5m Interesting photo. Iconic… and ironic.

5045d ago

Wren 💙9

Some people have more money than sense.😵‍💫

soulsister58.bsky.social7

It really upsets me when crazy stuff sells for a fortune, who buys this rather than feed starving children? Sorry it does my head in.

Boring Geoff5

Sounds about right that a multi millionaire would buy this object that celebrates cheating.

🇱🇻 Gez Campbell-Smith 🇱🇻4

I wonder if Peter Shilton got up on his feet for a bid. Which would've been more than he bothered to do for the goal.

Colin Hutchings1

Changes nothing Reece, he cheated and it cost us, pretty sure his cheating will not be forgotten for a long time.

Usman-Smith1

Amazing how a sport primarily uses the feet turned on a hand. It was god's hand though, so added value....

Mark Hebden

@unionlib.bsky.social

Hearing Peter Shilton bought it so he can finally get a glove on it: www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

1345d ago

Tony Yates

@t0nyyates.bsky.social

This may be resentment on my part but I feel the price here is somewhat inflated www.bbc.com/sport/footba...

1145d ago

Tony Yates7

My genius pun being made to feel like an own goal

Sesh Nadathur1

Unlike the ball itself, clearly.

Darren Maughan1

The ball gives Peter Shilton nightmares and probably the origin of his crazy rightwards turn.

Alasdair MacDonald1

He was a very gifted player but I could never forgive him for that piece of blatant cheating. And I’m not English.

Unofficial BBCNews (World) Bot

@bbcnews-world-rss.bsky.social

Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' football from 1986 World Cup win over England sells for £2.5m

945d ago

📚 Tears at La Bombonera/Dame Bola (Christopher Hylland)

@hylland.bsky.social

The ball with which Diego Armando Maradona scored his Goals of the Century and Hand of God against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal has sold on auction for US$3.35m/£2.5m!

345d ago

David Arrowsmith Author

@davidarrowsmith.bsky.social

£2.5m for this: not just one of the 1st synthetic balls used in a World Cup but that with which Diego Armando Maradona scored both the Hand of God & Goal of the Century. Relive the glory of Mexico ‘86, alongside the dark & deadly rollercoaster of his life, in Killing Maradona.

245d ago

Şaziye Ceyhan

@saziyeceyhan.bsky.social

🔶⚽️ Biraz da futbol... Sadece top! deyip geçme! Değeri paha biçilemez.... The ball used by Diego Maradona for his famous ‘Hand of God’ goal at the 1986 World Cup has sold at auction for £2.5m. 📌 thedailyculture.com/maradonas-ha... #DiegoMaradona

244d ago

Match of the Day {bot}

@bbcmotdbot.bsky.social

The football with which Diego Maradona scored his famous 'hand of God' goal at the 1986 World Cup has sold at auction for £2.5m 💰 The ball had been expected to fetch nearer £7.3m 😳

245d ago

Neil Swan

@tramowl.bsky.social

Scotlands player of the year that particular year, in fact every year lol. His 2nd goal is always voted one of the greatest ever. ( never forget the original Hand of God that is the magnificent Joe Jordan)

144d ago

Wiredesk

@wiredesk.org

The ball Diego Maradona used to score his disputed 1986 World Cup goal against England in Mexico has sold at auction for $3.35 million, falling short of pre-sale expectations. Covered by 12 outlets across 11 countries.

144d ago

Some Rando in Mexico

@randywithawhy.bsky.social

I mean, I love football ⚽. It is the only sport I care about. But, when someone can pay £2.5m for a 40-year-old ball, capitalism and society have gone wrong. Millions of people don't even have clean water ffs. www.bbc.com/sport/footba...

144d ago

Global Pulse Ai

@globalpluseai.bsky.social

The Adidas Azteca ball used in Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal has sold for $3.3 million at Heritage Auctions in the US. Referee Ali Bin Nasser had kept the historic ball for more than three decades following Argentina’s 2-1 victory over England in the 1986 World Cup.

144d ago

Ahad

@ahadreports.bsky.social

Diego Maradona's 1986 World Cup ball, infamous for his "Hand of God" goal against England, has sold for $3.35 million. The ball was used in the match at Mexico's Azteca Stadium. (Al Jazeera)

145d ago

Yonette Joseph

@sugarcane99.bsky.social

Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball sells for $3.35 million at auction www.nytimes.com/athletic/753...

145d ago

ORZ

@nofilter247.bsky.social

Dude, some guy just paid three million bucks for the ball from that Maradona goal. I mean, it’s a cool piece of history, but that’s a house in the suburbs for a ball.

45d ago

1 source

bbc.co.ukDiego Maradona's 'Hand of God' football from 1986 World Cup win over England sells for £2.5m

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Maradona 'Hand of God' ball sells for £2.5m

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