The football used by Diego Maradona during Argentina’s infamous 2-1 victory over England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup has sold for £2.5m at an auction in the United States.
The Adidas Azteca ball fetched $3.3m at Heritage Auctions on Saturday, although the final price was significantly below the $10m, or approximately £7.3m, that experts had initially estimated.
The ball was used throughout the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, a match widely regarded as one of the most memorable games in football history.
Maradona scored both of Argentina’s goals, with his first becoming one of the most controversial moments in World Cup history.
The Argentine captain punched the ball over England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, but the referee failed to detect the handball and awarded the goal.
After the match, Maradona famously described the goal as being scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”, giving rise to its enduring nickname, the “Hand of God”.
Just minutes later, Maradona produced another iconic moment, collecting the ball inside his own half before dribbling past five England players, rounding Shilton and scoring.
The goal was later voted the “Goal of the Century” and became one of the most celebrated individual efforts in World Cup history.
The ball remained with Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the match, for more than three decades after he took possession of it at the final whistle.
Bin Nasser eventually sold the Adidas Azteca for $2.37m (£1.74m) in 2022.
The ball was subsequently offered for auction again the following year but failed to sell after potential buyers did not meet the reserve price.
Heritage Auctions specialist Mike Provenzale described the item as a unique piece of football history ahead of Saturday’s sale.
Bin Nasser had signed a letter in 2023 confirming that the Adidas Azteca was the only ball used during the Argentina-England match. The claim was later supported by independent authentication.
The latest sale adds to the growing value of memorabilia associated with Maradona’s legendary performance at the 1986 World Cup.
In 2022, the Argentina shirt worn by Maradona during the same quarter-final sold for £7.1m at auction, setting a record for football memorabilia at the time.