Maradona’s “Hand of God” ball sold again for $3.3 million

The ball used by the late Argentine legend Diego Maradona to score his historic goal against England during the 1986 World Cup was sold for $3.3 million at an auction in the United States.

Maradona used the same ball to score both of Argentina’s goals in their 2-1 quarter-final victory over England. The first was a handball that sparked one of the most famous controversial moments in football history. Minutes later, Maradona used the same ball to score what would later be known as the “Goal of the Century,” dribbling past five players before beating goalkeeper Peter Shilton and finding the net.

The ball was sold again for approximately $3.3 million at an auction organized by Heritage Auctions in the United States. The final price was significantly lower than previous estimates that valued the ball at around $10 million.

The Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the match, had kept the ball for more than three decades before selling it in 2022 for approximately $2.37 million.

Maradona’s shirt from that historic match was previously sold at auction in 2022 for £7.1 million.