Maradona's 'Hand of God' Soccer Ball Fetches $3.35 Million at Auction

The soccer ball used by Diego Maradona for his infamous "Hand of God" goal has sold at auction for $3.35 million. The sale took place this weekend at Heritage Auctions in the United States.

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The ball with which the mythical footballer scored the 'Hand of God' goal for Argentina against England in the 1986 World Cup, finally did not meet the expectations that had been created.

Maradona scored the controversial goal for Argentina against England during the 1986 World Cup quarter-final match. The legendary footballer famously used his hand to propel the ball into the net, a foul the referee did not see, allowing the goal to stand. Argentina went on to win the match 2-1 and eventually the World Cup.

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That goal by Maradona in Argentina's 2-1 victory against England in the quarterfinals became iconic in the history of football, when the Argentine jumped and hit the ball with his fist, but the referee did not see the foul and considered the goal valid.

Despite the goal's iconic status in football history, the auction failed to meet expectations. Bidding started with a base price of $2.5 million, and it was anticipated that the ball might fetch up to $10 million. The final price of $3.35 million was seen as a disappointment, especially when compared to the sale of Maradona's jersey from the same game. That jersey sold for over 8 million euros in 2022, becoming one of the most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia ever sold.

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Later, and after Argentina won the 1986 World Cup, the 'Ten' assured that his goal had been scored 'a little with Maradona's head and a little with the hand of God'.