The ball Diego Maradona used for his Hand of God goal against England in 1986 is going up for auction in the United States. Estimates suggest the ball could sell for up to $10 million.
The historic goal occurred during the quarterfinal match between Argentina and England. Maradona illegally sent the ball into the net with his hand, but the referee did not notice the infraction.
The entire sequence by Maradona against England in 1986, from the Hand of God to the Goal of the Century, took five minutes of clock time. After the match, the Argentine legend said the goal was scored a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God. Argentina continued its tournament run and eventually won the World Cup.
Heritage Auctions bidding and memorabilia
Texas-based Heritage Auctions estimates the ball could reach an eight-figure sum when it goes under the hammer from August 21 to August 23. The opening bid is set at $2.5 million.
The jersey Maradona wore during the historic match also holds high value. The shirt of the Argentine, who died in November 2020, holds the record for the most expensive football jersey after selling for $9.3 million.
The football rivalry between the two nations was reignited in this year's World Cup when Argentina and England met in the semifinals. The South Americans won that match before losing in the final.
Beyond football, relations between the two countries have been marked for decades by the dispute over sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.
