The sale was conducted by Heritage Auctions with a starting price of US$2.5 million.

The ball with which Diego Maradona scored the historic Hand of God and Goal of the Century goals against England in the 1986 World Cup was sold for US$3.35 million at auction in the United States.

RELATED: Maradona Never Forgot His Roots Despite Sporting Glory

The sale was conducted by Heritage Auctions with a starting price of US$2.5 million, although the ball, an Adidas Azteca model, fell short of the firm’s estimated value of US$10 million.

Maradona scored two of the most iconic goals in football history in that quarter-final match: first with his fist past goalkeeper Peter Shilton, and then with a run from midfield past five opponents.

Ali Bin Nasser, referee of the match, kept the ball for 36 years and sold it in 2022 for US$2.37 million. Its new owner unsuccessfully tried to auction it in 2023, finally achieving this sale in 2026.

This Maradona goal against England has been ranked as the greatest goal in World Cup history pic.twitter.com/KDN2WMuh0Q

— J (@Shadygize) July 11, 2026

The jersey Maradona wore in that same match, exchanged with England’s Steve Hodge, was auctioned in London in 2022 and fetched a record US$9.28 million, becoming one of the most valuable pieces of sports memorabilia.

This ball joins the list of legendary football artifacts that have reached million-dollar prices, reflecting Maradona’s cultural and sporting impact on the collective memory.

Maradona remained a voice for the dispossessed and allied with left-wing movements across the Global South, refusing to sanitize his origins for the corporate sports machine.

#Argentina | Trade unions and social movements marched in Buenos Aires as household debt increasingly weighs on working families.
Around 20 million people are in debt, with organizations warning that many are borrowing simply to afford food, medicine and basic services.#Milei… pic.twitter.com/088940Xfw2

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) August 21, 2026

teleSUR: JP

Source: EFE

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