Maradonas "Hand of God" World Cup ball sells at auction for 3.35 million: buyer unidentified

The ball used by Diego Maradona to score his infamous “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century” in the 1986 FIFA World Cup sold at auction for $3.35 million (approximately €2.87 million), Heritage Auctions announced on its website. The Dallas-based auction house had previously promoted the Adidas Azteca ball as “the most famous ball in the history of the world’s most popular sport.”

The sale fell short of the auctioneer’s initial expectations, which had projected bids as high as $10 million (€8.8 million). The starting bid was set at $2.5 million (€2.2 million). The identity of the buyer has not been disclosed.

Maradona used the ball during Argentina’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory over England on June 22, 1986, at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium. In the 51st minute, he punched the ball past English goalkeeper Peter Shilton for the opening goal, later describing it as “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” Four minutes later, he embarked on a 60-meter solo run, dribbling past five English players before scoring what many consider the greatest goal in World Cup history. The match carried political weight, coming just four years after the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom.

The ball had been in the possession of Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the game and confirmed its authenticity, stating no other ball was used during the match. It was previously auctioned in London in 2022 for the equivalent of €2.3 million.

The sale price for Maradona’s ball remains below the €3.76 million paid in 2024 for the baseball used by Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers to hit his 50th home run, as noted by Heritage Auctions.

In a separate development, a health service provider admitted to mixing up kidney test results in the ongoing trial over Maradona’s death. Swiss Medical, an insurance company, confirmed in a document obtained by AFP that tests submitted in the case belonged to Maradona’s father, Diego Salustiano Maradona, who died in 2015, rather than the football legend himself. The trial, which resumed in April in San Isidro near Buenos Aires, involves a seven-member medical team accused of gross negligence in Maradona’s treatment. The former player died on Nov. 25, 2020, at age 60 from a heart attack and pulmonary edema, two weeks after brain surgery. A previous attempt at a trial collapsed last year after the presiding judge was removed for bias.