In a season to sell coveted sports memorabilia, items linked to Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal are circulating the market for the second time in recent months.
The ball from the quarterfinal of the 1986 World Cup between Argentina and England will go up for auction on Nov. 16 in London. The announcement comes five months after the jersey Maradona wore in the match sold for a then-record $9.3 million.
Since that May sale, the record for most expensive sports memorabilia has been surpassed twice. First, a Mickey Mantle baseball card went for a staggering $12.6 million this past August. Less than three weeks later, Michael Jordan’s 1998 “Last Dance” jersey went for $10.1 million.
The game ball is not expected to eclipse those numbers, but it is valued between $2.7 million and $3.3 million. According to Reuters, the ball belongs to Tunisian Ali Bin Nasser, one of the referees of the infamous match in Mexico City.
Maradona scored two goals -- both equally memorable -- to beat England 2-1. Argentina eventually advanced to the finals where they beat West Germany 3-2 for their second World Cup victory.
The first goal came early in the second half when Maradona seemingly punched the ball past English goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Well before the days of VAR, the English were essentially left watching, unable to mount a defense to recall the goal. When questioned about the legality of the strike, Maradona said it was “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God.”
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
Four minutes later, Maradona struck again. The Argentinian took 11 seconds and 11 touches to pass six English defenders -- including Shilton -- and score what was later voted the “Goal of the Century.”
Sports
Maradona’s legacy as both incredible and controversial was largely cemented in that five-minute stretch.
The auction -- overseen by Graham Budd -- will open for registration and online bids on Oct. 28.
