Maradona's infamous World Cup ball set for multi-million dollar US auction
The soccer ball used by Diego Maradona for his 1986 "Hand of God" goal will be offered at a Texas auction with a $2.5 million opening bid.
Heritage Auctions, a Texas-based auction firm, will sell the ball Diego Maradona used to score the notorious "Hand of God" goal in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final versus England. The sale is scheduled for August 21-23, with a $2.5 million opening bid and an anticipated final price in the eight-figure range. Maradona, who died in November 2020, later explained the goal as partly his head and partly the hand of God after the referee missed the illegal handball.
Argentina went on to win the tournament that year. The match also featured a jersey that currently holds the record for the most expensive soccer shirt at $9.3 million. Recent World Cup encounters have revived the historic rivalry between Argentina and England, which also extends to a long-standing dispute over the Falkland Islands.
Why it matters
The auction highlights the enduring cultural and financial value of iconic sports memorabilia.
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