The football used by Diego Maradona for his infamous “Hand of God” goal against England at the 1986 World Cup is set to go to auction in the United States this month, with Heritage Auctions estimating it could sell for around $10 million.
The ball will be offered in Heritage Auctions’ sports auction from August 21 to 23, with bidding opening at $2.5 million. The auction house has described it as one of the most significant football collectibles to reach the market.
The ball was used during Argentina’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. In the 51st minute, Maradona punched the ball into the net with his left hand, but officials failed to detect the handball and awarded the goal.
Maradona later famously described the goal as having been scored partly with his head and partly with the “hand of God”.
Just minutes later, he scored again after a spectacular run past several England players. The goal was later named the “Goal of the Century” in a FIFA poll.
Heritage Auctions said the ball has been photo-matched to the 1986 quarter-final and is the same ball associated with both of Maradona’s goals. It remained in the possession of Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser after the match before eventually entering the memorabilia market.
The $2.5 million starting bid is substantially below the auction house’s $10 million estimate. A previous attempt to sell the ball in 2022 attracted a top bid of about £2 million, but the offer failed to reach the seller’s reserve price.
Maradona’s shirt from the same match sold for $9.3 million in 2022, setting a football memorabilia record at the time. The ball’s auction could therefore become another major sale in the market for sports collectibles.
Argentina went on to win the 1986 World Cup, with Maradona’s two goals against England becoming among the tournament’s most enduring moments and defining episodes in football history.
