Maradona’s "Hand of God" match ball sells for $3.3 million
The Adidas Azteca used in Argentina’s 2–1 quarter-final win over England in 1986 fetched $3.3 million at a U.S. auction.
The match ball used when Diego Maradona scored the goal known as the "Hand of God" has changed hands at auction for $3.3 million.
In the 1986 World Cup quarter-final, Argentina defeated England 2–1; Maradona scored both goals, the first with his hand — a strike he later described as partly the work of the "Hand of God."
The auction took place in the United States last Saturday (August 22, 2026). The Adidas Azteca ball was sold for $3.3 million, although Heritage Auctions had anticipated the lot might reach about $10 million.
Provenance and earlier sales
The ball had been kept until 2022 by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the Argentina–England game in 1986; he sold it that year for $2.37 million. The buyer later offered the same ball at auction in 2023 but the bids did not meet the seller's reserve, so it remained unsold at that time.
Collectors and sports memorabilia markets often value provenance as highly as the object itself; the long history tied to one of football's most famous — and controversial — moments continued to drive international interest in this lot.
Photo: press material from the event
