The iconic ball used by Diego Maradona during his legendary "Hand of God" goal at the 1986 FIFA World Cup has been sold at auction for $3.35 million, as reported by Heritage Auctions. This Adidas Azteca ball was pivotal in Argentina's 2-1 quarterfinal victory over England, where Maradona scored two unforgettable goals.

A Historic Auction

The auction took place in Dallas, where the ball was sold after experts confirmed its authenticity by matching it to photographs from the match. Despite its historical significance, the final sale price fell significantly short of the pre-auction estimate of at least $10 million.

Memorable Moments

Maradona's first goal, which became known as the "Hand of God," was controversial as he used his left hand to score, a decision that was allowed to stand by match officials. Just four minutes later, he scored again, dribbling past five England players to net what is often referred to as the FIFA World Cup "Goal of the Century."

The ball had been in the possession of Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser for 36 years and was previously auctioned for £2 million ($2.37 million) in London in 2022. In a related sale, Maradona's shirt from the same match fetched nearly $9.3 million at Sotheby's later that year. However, the recent auction price for the ball did not surpass the record for a ball from any sport, which is held by Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball, sold for $4.392 million. The overall record for sports memorabilia remains with Babe Ruth’s New York Yankees jersey, which sold for $24.12 million in 2024.