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

The ball that Diego Maradona used to punch past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton for the notorious “Hand of God” goal in the 1986 World Cup was sold at Heritage Auctions in the United States on Saturday for £2.5 million (US $3.3 million). Maradona’s strike helped Argentina secure a 2‑1 quarter‑final victory over England, and after the match he told reporters the goal had been scored “a small with the head of Maradona and a small with the hand of God.” Later in the same game Maradona added what became known as the “goal of the century,” dribbling past five England outfield players before slipping the ball past Shilton. Although the ball achieved £2.5 million, its pre‑sale estimate had been closer to £7.3 million (US $10 million). Mike Provenzale, a specialist auctioneer at Heritage, described the item to Reuters as “a real one‑of‑one item. Arguably the most important ball point that exists.” The match official, Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, retrieved the Adidas Azteca ball at full‑time and retained it for more than three decades. In 2023 Bin Nasser signed a letter confirming it was the sole ball used during the fixture, a claim subsequently backed by independent authentication. Bin Nasser first auctioned the ball in 2022, realizing US $2.37 million (£1.74 million). The current consignor re‑offered it for sale in 2023, but bidding failed to reach the reserve price and the lot remained unsold. For comparison, the jersey Maradona wore in that 1986 encounter sold for £7.1 million at auction in 2022.