Maradona Ball Sells for $3.35M
Diego Maradona’s 1986 World Cup ball fetched $3.35 million at auction, well below its $10 million estimate, according to Heritage Auctions.
The soccer ball used by Diego Maradona in his 1986 World Cup quarter-final goal sold for $3.35 million at Heritage Auctions, far below its $10 million pre-sale estimate.
Auction Context
The sale took place during Heritage Auctions’ Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction, where the ball was offered alongside memorabilia from legends such as Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Production manager Mike Provenzale told the Athletic that the item was “on that list” of pieces that can shut down a department when they arrive.
Match Significance
The ball was used for both of Argentina’s goals in their 2-1 victory over England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final in Mexico City. The match, which can be found in the fixtures section, came four years after the Falklands War. Maradona, then 25, scored five goals and provided five assists during the tournament, a contribution that appears in the stats of the competition.
Historical Ownership
Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the game, claimed FIFA ownership of the ball after the match and kept it for 36 years. He sold it at auction in 2022 for $2.37 million. The ball’s sale this week is roughly one-third of the $9.3 million that an anonymous buyer paid in 2022 for the jersey Maradona wore in that game, which set an auction record at the time.
Comparative Values
| Item | Sale Price |
|---|---|
| Maradona Ball | $3.35 million |
| Maradona Jersey | $9.3 million |
| Pre-sale estimate for Ball | $10 million |
Match Narrative
The sequence that unfolded six minutes into the second half began when Maradona passed the ball to teammate Jorge Valdano. England midfielder Steve Hodge touched it, sending it toward the penalty area where Maradona and goalkeeper Peter Shilton raced to meet it. The two players leapt, and more than 100,000 fans in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca held their breath.
Contested Goal
Maradona appeared to reach the ball with his head and send it into the open goal, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead. English players protested, holding their arms up high. Replays later showed Maradona used his left hand, but the referee and assistant did not see the handball, and the goal stood. Instant replay technology was not yet used in the World Cup.
Maradona’s Reflections
Maradona later described the goal as “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” In his autobiography he rejected the “Hand of God” label, calling it “the hand of Diego” and comparing the moment to picking the Englishman’s pocket, according to Sports Illustrated.
Legacy
The British outcry resonated throughout the soccer world. Heritage Auctions’ director of sports auctions, Chris Ivy, said that one of the proudest soccer nations felt like a victim of a significant miscarriage of justice. Yet the moment remains one of the most spectacular in the history of the sport.
Final Detail
The ball’s sale price of $3.35 million, announced by Heritage Auctions, concludes the auction’s record-setting weekend, leaving fans and collectors to reflect on the enduring impact of Maradona’s 1986 performance.
