Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' shirt sells for £7.1m at auction
Diego Maradona’s famous ‘Hand of God’ shirt has sold at auction in England for an eye-watering £7.1m ($10m). The shirt was lifted by the Argentine legend during the 1986 World Cup as he scored one of the most controversial goals in the history of football, letting his hand guide the ball into the net against England in their quarter-final match.
The significance of the game
Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal for Argentina against England in 1986 was a pivotal moment in world football, but it also helped to cement his status as one of sport’s greatest ever players. Now his No 10 jersey from that game has sold at an auction in America for $10,059,000 (£7,110,500). The iconic white and sky blue strip is believed to be only one of three shirts from that 1986 World Cup which still exist.
The significance of what happened in the game
Argentina went on to win 2-1 and lift their second World Cup, beating West Germany in a final held in front of 93,000 fans at Italy’s famous San Siro stadium in Milan. But it is that third goal which continues to be discussed 30 years later and will probably continue to be debated until time ends.
What exactly happened?
Diego Maradona scored one of his most iconic goals in England during Argentina’s 1986 World Cup quarter-final win over England, employing a handball to score past goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
The importance of the jersey
The jersey is considered a piece of sporting history because it was worn by Argentina great Diego Maradona in his country’s 2-1 victory over England in 1986, in which he scored both goals with his hand. The goal has been dubbed The Hand of God as it helped Argentina reach their second World Cup final.
How much did it sell for?
Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ shirt, worn when he scored a goal with his hand against England in 1986, has sold for £7.2 million ($10 million) at an auction in Mexico. The figure is thought to be a world record price paid for an item of football memorabilia, though it was well below its upper estimate of £15 million set by auction house Sotheby’s before Friday night’s sale in Mexico City.
How did fans react?
Following his move to Napoli in 1984, Diego Maradona captained a star-studded side featuring Argentinian legends including Careca and Paolo Rossi, as well as striking partnership scoring machine Alemao and Graziani. It was Graziani who scored in extra time against England in 1990 to lead Argentina to their second World Cup triumph on home soil.
Why was it sold now?
The 1986 World Cup quarter-final match between England and Argentina saw two moments which were to define both teams' ultimately unsuccessful campaigns. The first was Gary Lineker’s sublimely taken second goal, which gave England a 2-0 lead with just 22 minutes left on the clock; before Diego Maradona – in an almost superhuman display of individual brilliance – later answered with his own double to give Argentina a place in that year’s final.
Picking apart the numbers
Hand of God tells a vivid story: Diego Maradona scored one of his most infamous goals during Argentina’s 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England, a handball that is said to have changed football forever. In 2001, it was voted Goal of the Century in an online poll, and then again in 2005 on Channel 4. It is now one of Fifa’s favourite goals to show from its extensive archives. But was it really so important?