Expected to fetch $10m, Maradona’s 'Hand of God' ball sells for $3.35m

The ball Diego Maradona used to score his infamous "Hand of God" goal at the 1986 World Cup has sold for $3.35 million at auction, falling short of a pre-sale estimate of $10 million.

The Adidas Azteca ball, used throughout Argentina's 2-1 quarterfinal win over England, went under the hammer at Heritage Auctions in Texas on Saturday, with bidding opening at $2.5 million.

Maradona punched the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton before the goal was allowed to stand, later saying it was scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God."

He scored the "Goal of the Century" in the same match, dribbling past five England players.

The ball was matched to match-day photographs by experts and kept for 36 years by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the match.

It was first sold to Graham Budd Auctions in 2022 for $2.37 million. Its new owner again put it up for auction in 2023 though it did not sell as bids did not meet the minimum value set.

The shirt Maradona wore in the same match sold for just under $9.3 million at Sotheby's in 2022.