The "Hand of God" soccer ball that was punched by Diego Maradona for a goal in the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match between Argentina and England is set to go up for auction in the United Kingdom on Nov. 16, with the expectation that it could sell for anywhere from $2.8 million to $3.4 million. The ball is being sold by Ali Bin Nasser, the referee for the quarterfinal match of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, according to ESPN.
Early in the second half of the game, back-and-forth passes between Argentina and England culminated in a contested ball between Maradona and English goalkeeper Peter Shilton, with the ball hitting Maradona's left fist and then going into England's goal, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead.
Under soccer rules, the goal should have been illegal due to Maradona using his hands. However, referees did not have a clear view of what had occurred, and video replay technology did not exist at the time, meaning that the goal stood. Argentina would go on to win the game 2-1 -- and eventually the country's second World Cup -- with Maradona famously claiming that the iconic goal was scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God."
"This ball is part of international football history -- it feels like the right time to be sharing it with the world," Bin Nasser said. As for Maradona's first goal I couldn't see the incident clearly, the two players Shilton and Maradona were facing me from behind ... 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."
The ball is being sold by Graham Budd Auction House, and will be on display next month at Wembley Stadium in London. Other World Cup items are also set to be auctioned off by Graham Budd.
The auction of the "Hand of God" ball comes after Maradona's jersey from that same game was sold at auction for $9.3 million earlier this year. Maradona died in November of 2020 at the age of 60.
