The ‘Mano de Dios’ ball fails to fetch a high price at auction

The ball with which Diego Maradona scored his famous ‘Hand of God’ goal against England at the 1986 World Cup did not break any records at auction: the legendary artefact was sold by Heritage Auctions for a sum of $6.8 million, which was lower than the initial valuation. The Adidas Azteca ball – the first in World Cup history to be made entirely of synthetic material – was sold for $3.35 million, well below the $10 million estimate given by the Dallas-based auction house, which had described it as “the most important ball in the history of football”. The reserve price had been set at $2.5 million.

The result is well below the $9.3 million paid for Maradona’s shirt from the same match at Sotheby’s in 2022. That sale set a record for a sports memorabilia item at the time.

Furthermore, the ball did not break the record for the most expensive sports ball. The ball from Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run, hit during his 2024 MLB season, was sold for $4.39 million (including the buyer’s premium).

The 1986 quarter-finals remain one of the most significant matches in World Cup history, particularly as they were played four years after the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom. Four minutes later, with Argentina leading 1–0, Maradona scored again. This time there was no controversy. Dribbling past several English players, he found the net, and the goal was subsequently voted the FIFA World Cup’s ‘Goal of the Century’. Ali Ben Nasser, the Tunisian referee who officiated the match, stated that he had not clearly seen the handball because Maradona and Shilton had their backs turned. The Adidas Azteca ball had been kept by Ben Nasser for 36 years before being put up for auction for the first time in 2022. Bids reached £2 million (US$2.37 million), but the reserve price was not met and the ball was subsequently sold to a private buyer. It returned to auction at Goldin in February 2023, where it once again failed to sell.

Its authenticity has been independently verified through photographic evidence. Heritage Auctions stated that experts compared the ball’s distinctive features, including visible markings and other identifying details, with photographs from the England match and images of other Adidas Azteca balls used during the 1986 World Cup. The analysis made it possible to match the ball to photographs of both of Maradona’s goals.