Maradona's 'Hand of God' ball sells for £2.5m

Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" ball, which he used to score a goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final, has been sold at auction for £2.5 million. The ball, a key piece of football history, is believed to have been struck with both Maradona's head and hand, as he later recalled to reporters. Maradona also scored what is popularly known as the "goal of the century" during the same match, outwitting five England players before netting the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

Despite receiving a bid of $3.3 million (£2.5 million) at Heritage Auctions in the United States, the ball's seller had anticipated a higher sale price, around $10 million (£7.3 million). Mike Provenzale, a specialist auctioneer at Heritage, described the ball as "a true one-of-one item. Arguably the most significant soccer item that exists."

Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the 1986 game, kept the Adidas Azteca ball for over three decades before selling it in 2022 for $2.37 million (£1.74 million). The shirt Maradona wore during the match fetched £7.1 million at auction in 2022.