Sports
Hand of God Ball Sells For $3.35m BUT Auctioneers Wanted $10m
— 3 mins read
The price fell $6.65 million short of the estimate
The football that Diego Maradona punched past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton at the 1986 World Cup has sold for $3.35 million at auction in the United States. The price fell $6.65 million short of the $10 million estimate set by Heritage Auctions in Dallas.
Bidding opened at $2.5 million for the Adidas Azteca ball, which Heritage described as potentially 'the most famous ball in the history of any sport'. The buyer has not been named.
The ball was used for the full 1986 quarter-final between Argentina and England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 22 June 1986. Argentina won 2-1 and went on to win the tournament.
Why the price fell so far short
Heritage hoped the ball would fetch a price close to Maradona's shirt from the same match, which sold at Sotheby's in 2022 for nearly $9.3 million. The overall sports memorabilia record belongs to a Babe Ruth New York Yankees jersey from the 1932 World Series, which sold through Heritage for $24.12 million in 2024.
The ball's sale history suggested the $10 million figure was always optimistic. It sold through Graham Budd Auctions in 2022 for $2.37 million. A second attempt through Goldin Auctions in 2023 drew a final bid of $2.04 million, which failed to meet the seller's reserve price.
Heritage is a private auction house that earns commission on every sale. It set the $10 million estimate itself.
Even so, $3.35 million makes it the most expensive football ever sold. The ball is deflated and requires specialist conservation, and it has been independently photo-matched to both of Maradona's goals in the match. Unlike modern matches, which use multiple balls, it was the only ball used for the entire game.
The referee who kept it for 36 years
For 36 years the ball belonged to Ali Bin Nasser, the Tunisian referee who officiated the match and did not see the handball. He told BBC Sport: 'I couldn't see the incident clearly. The two players, Shilton and Maradona, were facing me from behind.'
I couldn't see the incident clearly. The two players, Shilton and Maradona, were facing me from behind.
He said Fifa's pre-tournament instructions required him to defer to his linesman, Bulgarian official Bogdan Dochev, who signalled the goal should stand. 'At the end of the match the England head coach, Bobby Robson, said to me: "You did a good job but the linesman was irresponsible".'
Bin Nasser has described the proceeds from the 2022 sale as 'a gift from God' for his family, with some money going to charity.
'The hand of Diego'
Maradona admitted the handball was deliberate in a 2005 interview on Argentine television. He said he planned it because of the height difference between himself and Shilton, and that he called his teammates over to celebrate so the goal would stand. He said he had no regrets.
The ball now passes to an undisclosed private owner. Its next public appearance, if any, has not been announced.
