Maradona's 'Hand of God' ball goes to auction with $10 million estimate

The auction

Heritage Auctions, a Texas-based auction house, will sell the ball from August 21 to 23, with a starting bid set at $2.5 million (approximately 2.2 million euros). The auction house estimates the final price could exceed $10 million (approximately 8.6 million euros), an eight-figure sum that would set a new record for football memorabilia. The ball was previously offered at auction in 2022 and 2023, with bids reaching nearly $2 million (approximately 1.7 million euros) on each occasion, well below the current estimate. The upcoming sale reflects a surge in the valuation of Maradona memorabilia, driven by the historical significance of one of the most famous and controversial matches in football history.

The match and the two goals

The ball was used in the World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England on June 22, 1986, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Argentina won 2-1. In the 51st minute, captain Maradona jumped and punched the ball with his fist past English goalkeeper Peter Shilton, a foul unnoticed by Tunisian referee Ali Bennaceur, who validated the goal. After the match, Maradona described the goal in a joking tone.

A little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.

Only four minutes later, "El Pibe de Oro" scored what is considered the best goal in World Cup history, receiving the ball near the halfway line, eluding five opponents and their desperate attempts to dispossess him, and sending it past Shilton. Argentina went on to win the tournament, beating West Germany 3-2 in the final for their second world title after 1978.

Provenance and authentication

Heritage Auctions states on its website that referee Ali Bennaceur wrote in a letter dated 2023 that he recovered the only ball used during the match, had it signed by his assistants, and kept it for more than thirty years. The auction house adds that the ball's authenticity was verified by two companies specializing in sports memorabilia, based in part on photographs. The combination of the referee's documented chain of custody and third-party authentication underpins the auction house's confidence in the eight-figure estimate.

Maradona memorabilia and rivalry

The shirt Maradona wore during the same match holds the current record for the most expensive football shirt, sold for $9.3 million (eight million euros) in 2022. If the ball reaches its estimated price, it would surpass that figure. The match itself carried political weight, coming four years after the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom, and contributed to the complex legend of Maradona, who died in November 2020 at age 60. Tensions between the two countries rekindled in a 2026 World Cup semi-final, where Argentina won 2-1 before losing the final 1-0 to Spain. The two nations maintain a long-standing dispute over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.