Maradona Ball Auction: 'Hand of God' football sells for a whopping ₹31.6 crore!
Synopsis
The football from the 1986 World Cup, famous for Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal against England, has been auctioned. The ball, which was part of one of football's most controversial moments, fetched a huge price.
The football from the legendary 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England has been auctioned in the USA. The ball sold for a massive $3.3 million, which is about ₹31.6 crore in Indian currency. This match and the ball became famous because of the legend, Diego Maradona. He scored two goals in that game.
The match took place at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Maradona scored the first goal for Argentina early in the second half. This goal is famously known as the 'Hand of God'. Inside the penalty box, Maradona jumped to challenge England's goalkeeper Peter Shilton for the ball.
He then pushed the ball into the goal with his hand. The English players protested like anything, but the Tunisian referee, Ali Ben Nasser, did not disallow the goal. Even today, this goal is a hot topic of debate in the football world.
Maradona's second goal is also famous
Just four minutes after the 'Hand of God' goal in that 1986 World Cup quarter-final, Maradona scored again. This time, he dribbled past five English players to score a stunner. This goal was later voted the 'Goal of the Century'. There is no controversy about this one.
But the debate over the first goal continues even today. Many years later, Maradona himself admitted that he had scored the goal with his hand. The English football community was furious about this, and many are still angry with Maradona.
The famous ball has changed hands multiple times
The referee of that match, Ali Ben Nasser, had kept the 'Hand of God' ball with him. The ball was in his possession for over three decades. In 2022, he sold it for $2.37 million. The person who bought the ball then put it up for auction again.
In 2023, the referee gave a written confirmation that only one ball was used during that entire match. This claim was also independently verified. Before the auction, experts thought the ball could fetch up to $10 million. However, it finally sold for $3.3 million.