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The ball with which Argentine football legend Diego Armando Maradona scored his first goal in the famous match during which he scored two goals against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup will be put up for auction at the end of October. He described it as “a little bit in the hands of God”. The ball was owned by the Tunisian referee at the time, Ali Bennacer, and it is expected to sell for $3.4 million.
The ball used by Argentine star Diego Maradona to score his controversial goal, which has been dubbed “Hand of God” Against England in the World Cup in Mexico in 1986, in an auction and may be worth up to 3 million pounds.
Bidding will start on November 16, but potential buyers can register online from November 28, London’s Grahambad Auctions website reported, adding that it expected the ball to sell for 2.5 to 3 million pounds (about $3.4 million).
“With the history surrounding this ball, we expect it to be very popular when it comes up for auction,” Budd, president of the auction house, said in a statement.
The 1986 quarter-final match between Argentina and England witnessed a sharp escalation due to the political tensions that followed the “Falklands” war, and was decided by two contradictory goals scored by the late Maradona.
The first time, Maradona entered the penalty area and rose with then England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and hit the ball into the net.
Maradona later admitted that he scored the goal “a little bit with Maradona’s head and a little bit in the hands of God.” The second goal came just four minutes later, when Maradona surpassed five English defenders and Shelton to score the “Goal of the Century”, according to an opinion poll conducted by the International Football Association (FIFA) in 2002.
Argentina won this match 2-1 after Tunisian referee Ali Bennacer awarded Maradona’s controversial goal to continue his country’s march towards the final when it defeated West Germany 3-2 to crown its second world title after 1978 at home.
Bin Nasser, the owner of the ball, said: “This ball is part of the history of world football, and it seems the right time to share it with the world.”
In May, the shirt Maradona wore in that match sold for nearly $9.3 million, more than double the value predicted by Sotheby’s. But the record sale of on-court sports memorabilia was surpassed in September when basketball legend Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals jersey sold for $10.1 million.
Maradona died at the age of 60 of heart failure in November 2020.
FRANCE 24/AFP