The Adidas Azteca ball used in one of football’s most infamous matches has changed hands for $3.35 million (£2.5m), but auctioneers had hoped for a far higher price.
The ball that Diego Maradona used to score both the controversial “Hand of God” goal and the legendary “Goal of the Century” during Argentina’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over England at the 1986 World Cup was sold at Heritage Auctions in the United States on Saturday.
Despite its extraordinary place in sporting history, the final hammer price fell well short of the pre-auction estimate of $10 million (£7.3m). Bidding opened at $2.5 million on the night of the event before reaching its final sum.
A tale of two goals in four minutes
The ball’s allure stems from a remarkable four-minute stretch at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 22, 1986. Six minutes into the second half, with the score locked at 0-0, Maradona raced towards the England goal and used his left hand to punch the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton. The officials allowed the goal to stand.
After the match, Maradona famously told reporters the goal had been scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God” — a phrase that would immortalise the moment as the “Hand of God”.
Four minutes later, Maradona produced something entirely above board. Receiving the ball in his own half, he dribbled past five England outfield players — Peter Beardsley, Peter Reid, Terry Butcher, Terry Fenwick, and Butcher again — before rounding Shilton and slotting the ball home. The goal was later voted by FIFA as the “Goal of the Century”.
Argentina went on to win the match 2-1 and eventually lifted the World Cup.
From referee’s keepsake to auction block
The ball was kept for 36 years by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the match. Bin Nasser collected the Adidas Azteca ball at full-time and held onto it for more than three decades before initially selling it in 2022 for £2 million ($2.37 million).
In 2023, Bin Nasser signed a letter confirming it was the only ball used during the match — a claim further supported by independent authentication. The ball was later put up for auction again in 2023 but failed to sell when bids did not meet the reserve price.
Its relisting this summer sought to capitalise on the excitement surrounding the 2026 World Cup. However, the timing of the sale — weeks after the tournament’s final whistle, coupled with Argentina’s failure to win the competition — likely cooled bidder demand.
A ‘true one-of-one item’
Speaking to Reuters before the auction, 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”. Heritage production manager Provenzale had earlier told The Athletic: “When it came in, I worked at Heritage for 20 years and there’s been a lot of items that when they arrived, they just shut down the whole department. This is on that list”.
Experts matched the ball to photographs taken during the match to confirm its authenticity.
Falling short of the shirt
The 9.28 million) at Sotheby’s in 2022. That remains the highest price ever paid at auction for a piece of sports memorabilia.
The ball also fell short of the all-time record for a sports ball, held by baseball star Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball, which sold for $4.392 million in 2024. The overall sports memorabilia auction record remains the New York Yankees jersey worn by Babe Ruth during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, which Heritage sold for $24.12 million in 2024.
Market recalibration
The sale sets a more realistic benchmark for vintage football collectibles after missing its ambitious $10 million estimate. Global collectors will now be watching closely to see if other rare 20th-century artefacts come to market in the coming months.
For now, the ball that witnessed both the most controversial and the most brilliant moments of Maradona’s career has found a new home — but its price tag, while eye-watering, proved no match for the shirt on Maradona’s back.
