£2.5m paid for Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' ball

The football that Diego Maradona used to score his iconic 'hand of God' goal during the 1986 World Cup has been auctioned for £2.5m. 

Maradona infamously punched the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton in Argentina's 2-1 victory over England in the quarter-finals. Following the match, he remarked to reporters that the goal was scored "partly with the head of Maradona and partly with the hand of God".

In the same match, Maradona also netted what is referred to as the 'goal of the century', skillfully dribbling past five England players before placing the ball past Shilton. Although it was sold for $3.3m (£2.5m) at Heritage Auctions in the United States on Saturday, the ball was anticipated to reach a price closer to $10m (£7.3m). Prior to the auction, Mike Provenzale, an auction specialist at Heritage, stated: "It's a true one-of-one item. Arguably the most significant soccer item that exists."

Ali Bin Nasser, the Tunisian referee who officiated the 1986 match, retrieved the Adidas Azteca ball at the end of the game and preserved it for over thirty years. In 2023, he provided a signed letter confirming it was the sole ball used during the match, a fact that has been further validated by independent authentication.

Bin Nasser sold the ball in 2022 for $2.37m (£1.74m). Its new owner attempted to auction it again in 2023, but it did not sell as the bids fell short of the minimum value established.

The shirt that Maradona wore during the same match was auctioned for £7.1m in 2022.