Maradona Hand of God ball
The football used by Diego Maradona for his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup has been sold at auction for $3.355 million. The Adidas Azteca ball was sold by Heritage Auctions in the United States, with the final price translating to roughly £2.6 million.
Argentina faced England in the World Cup quarter-final on June 22, 1986, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. In the 51st minute, Maradona jumped in front of England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and used his hand to send the ball into the net. The referee, Ali Bin Nasser, did not see the handball and allowed the goal to stand.
Maradona later famously described the goal as being scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”, giving the controversial moment its enduring name.
Just four minutes later, Maradona produced another moment of extraordinary individual brilliance. Collecting the ball in his own half, he dribbled past five England players before beating Shilton to score what later became known as the ‘Goal of the Century’. Argentina won the match 2-1 and went on to win the World Cup.
Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the match, took the Adidas Azteca ball with him after the final whistle and kept it for more than three decades.
In a signed letter in 2023, Bin Nasser confirmed that the same ball had been used throughout the match. Independent authentication and photo-matching evidence subsequently supported the ball’s provenance and connection to both of Maradona’s famous goals.
Heritage Auctions had expected the football to attract a price of up to $10 million. Bidding opened at $2.5 million, but the final sale price reached $3.355 million when the auction concluded on August 22, 2026.
Bin Nasser had previously sold the ball for $2.37 million in 2022. It was offered again in 2023, but failed to sell after bids did not reach the reserve price.
The shirt Maradona wore during the same 1986 World Cup quarter-final was sold at auction in 2022 for almost $9.3 million. That figure was substantially higher than the price achieved by the match ball.
Nevertheless, the Adidas Azteca remains an extraordinary piece of football history because the same ball was involved in both the controversial ‘Hand of God’ goal and one of the most celebrated individual goals ever scored at a World Cup.
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