The Argentina jersey worn by Diego Maradona during the 1986 World Cup quarter-final match between Argentina and England, is displayed for a photograph at Sotheby’s auction house, in London, on April 20. his controversial hand “God’s Goal” was sold for $9.3 million.
Matt Dunham / AP
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Matt Dunham / AP
The Argentina jersey worn by Diego Maradona during the 1986 World Cup quarter-final match between Argentina and England, is displayed for a photograph at Sotheby’s auction house, in London, on April 20. his controversial hand “God’s Goal” was sold for $9.3 million.
Matt Dunham / AP
LONDON – The shirt worn by Diego Maradona When he scored the controversial “Hand of God” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup it was sold for £7.1 million ($9.3 million), the highest price ever paid in the game. auction for a sports memorabilia.
Auction house Sotheby’s sold the shirt in an online auction ending on Wednesday. It does not identify the buyer.
Maradona scored twice in the quarter-final match in Mexico City on June 22, 1986, just four years after England and Argentina went to war over the Falkland Islands. The Argentine great’s first goal was a header, but the ball bounced out of Maradona’s hands, out of sight of the referee.
Maradona later said that it was inscribed “a little with Maradona’s head, and a little with the hand of God.”
Maradona’s second goal saw him dribble past nearly the entire England team before beating goalkeeper Peter Shilton. In 2002, it was voted “goal of the century” in a FIFA poll.
Argentina won 2-1 and went on to win the World Cup.
After the match, Maradona swapped shirts with England midfielder Steve Hodge, who had loaned England’s National Football Museum in Manchester on a long-term loan before selling it.
Maradona, considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time, struggled with cocaine abuse and other outrageous things and passed away in November 2020 at the age of 60.
After Sotheby’s announced the impending purchase last month, Maradona’s relatives expressed doubt the blue No 10 shirt was the one the soccer star wore in the second half of the game. match, when he scores both goals or not. The auction house said the identity of the shirt had been confirmed by sports memorabilia company Resolution Photomatching and confirmed by Sotheby’s chief scientific officer.
Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles, said the shirt was “a tangible reminder of an important moment not only in sports history but also in history”. 20th century”.
The previous record for sports memorabilia was $8.8 million paid in an auction in December 2019 for the manifesto that launched the modern Olympic movement. The previous record for a tracksuit model was $5.64 million for a Babe Ruth New York Yankees jersey in 2019.
The sale price includes the auction house’s fee known as the buyer’s premium.
