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Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' football sells for £2.5m

Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' football from the 1986 World Cup win over England has sold for £2.5m at auction, despite being expected to fetch nearer £10m.

Aug 24·bbc.co.uk·1 min read

Intelligence analysis by Qwen 2.5 (3B)

A person wearing white gloves places the football used in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final on a stand
A person wearing white gloves places the football used in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final on a standImage: bbc.co.uk

Diego Maradona's famous 'Hand of God' goal at the 1986 World Cup has a football that was sold for £2.5m at auction, despite being expected to fetch nearer £10m.

Why it matters

The sale of the football is significant as it represents a piece of history from one of the most iconic moments in footballing history.

A famous football from a soccer game where a player scored a goal by using his hand, which is considered cheating. This ball was sold at an auction for a lot of money because it's from a very important game.

Analysis

{"

The 'Hand of God' Goal and Its Significance":"Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal, scored in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final match against England, is one of the most famous moments in football history. The ball was punched by Maradona and scored by him, leading to controversy and a memorable moment. The football itself, which was used in this historic goal, has now sold for a significant amount at auction.","

The Auction and Its Impact":"The football, which had previously sold for $3.3m (£2.5m) at Heritage Auctions in the United States, was expected to fetch nearer $10m (£7.3m). However, it sold for £2.5m at the 2023 auction. The sale of the football is significant as it represents a piece of history from one of the most iconic moments in footballing history.","

The Authenticity of the Ball":"The ball, which was used in the 'Hand of God' goal, was collected by Tunisian Ali Bin Nasser, who was the referee for the match. Bin Nasser confirmed that the ball was the only ball used during the match and that it had been authenticated by further independent sources. The ball was previously sold for £1.74m in 2022, but did not sell at the 2023 auction due to low bids."}

Key points

  • Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' football sold for £2.5m at auction
  • The ball was used in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final match against England
  • The ball was previously sold for £1.74m in 2022
The Upside

The sale of the football could inspire new collectors and fans of Diego Maradona and the 1986 World Cup to learn more about this historic moment.

The Downside

The sale of the football may not have a significant impact on the market or the game itself, as it is a one-of-a-kind item.

Originally reported at

bbc.co.uk

Discernion covers the story. Read the full piece at the source.

Tagsfootballhistoryworld-cupdiego-maradona

Intelligence analysis by

Qwen 2.5 (3B)

Published

Aug 24, 2026

Source

bbc.co.uk

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Topics

footballhistoryworld-cupdiego-maradona

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