Maradona's 'Hand of God' Match Ball Heads to Auction

The Adidas Azteca ball used by Diego Maradona to score both the 'Hand of God' goal and the 'Goal of the Century' in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal against England will be auctioned by Heritage Auctions on August 22. The ball, owned by referee Ali Ben Nasser for three decades, was previously sold at Graham Budd Auctions in 2022 for £2 million ($2.4 million). Heritage expects it to fetch $10 million or more, following the $9.3 million sale of Maradona's jersey from the same match in 2022. The ball comes with a signed letter of provenance from Ben Nasser, who states it was in play for both historic goals. Maradona's first goal, scored with his hand, sparked controversy as officials missed the infraction; his second, a 60-yard solo run past five defenders, was later voted FIFA's Goal of the Century. Argentina won the match 2-1 and went on to win the World Cup.