Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball resells for $3.3m

Diego Maradona’s match ball from Argentina’s famous 1986 World Cup meeting with England has changed hands again, keeping one of football’s most recognisable pieces of memorabilia in the spotlight. The ball was used for two defining moments in the quarter-final, including the goal remembered as the “Hand of God” and another later named the “Goal of the Century”.

It sold for $3.3 million at a Heritage auction in the United States. That figure was well below earlier expectations that valued the ball at about $10 million. Argentina won the match 2-1, with Maradona’s first goal coming after the ball touched his hand. Minutes later, he carried it past five English players before beating goalkeeper Peter Shilton for his second.

Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the match, kept the ball for more than three decades before it was auctioned in 2022 for approximately $2.37 million. The latest sale therefore represents a higher price, although it remains far beneath the previous valuation.

Maradona’s shirt from the same match also went to auction in 2022, selling for £7.1 million. Together, the sales underline the continuing value attached to objects linked to Argentina’s celebrated victory and Maradona’s two historic goals.