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The world of football memorabilia has just witnessed another landmark event as one of the most famous and controversial items in sports history has changed hands. The Adidas Azteca football, inextricably linked to Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal, has been successfully auctioned in the United States. As a symbol of the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England, this ball encapsulates a moment that forever altered football history.
For decades, the story of Maradona outjumping English goalkeeper Peter Shilton and punching the ball into the back of the net has been retold by millions. Maradona famously claimed the goal was scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”. Moments later, with the exact same ball, he scored his breathtaking solo effort, widely recognized as the ‘Goal of the Century’. The recent auction of this relic brings back the nostalgia of that heated Mexico City afternoon and highlights the lucrative, high-stakes market of elite sports memorabilia.
The historic Adidas Azteca football was sold on Saturday by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions for an impressive $3.3 million, which equates to roughly £2.5 million. While this figure is undoubtedly massive, it surprisingly fell significantly short of the auction house’s initial expectations. Before the bidding commenced, experts at Heritage Auctions had attached a staggering $10 million (approximately £7.3 million) estimate to the item, considering it a “true one-of-one” artifact and arguably the most significant piece of soccer history in existence.
The bidding opened at $2.5 million, but ultimately failed to trigger the intense bidding war that many had anticipated. The ball originally belonged to Ali Bin Nasser, the Tunisian referee who officiated the 1986 quarter-final and allowed the controversial goal to stand. Bin Nasser kept the ball for over three decades before selling it in 2022 for $2.37 million (£1.74 million). Following an unsuccessful attempt to auction the ball again in 2023, where bids failed to meet the reserve price, the iconic sphere has finally found a new owner. While it didn’t surpass the $9.3 million record set by Maradona’s match-worn shirt from the same game, the £2.5m sale cements its status among the world’s most valuable sports collectibles.
| Auction Detail | Information |
| Item | Adidas Azteca Football (1986 World Cup) |
| Associated Player | Diego Maradona (Argentina) |
| Sale Price | $3.3 million / £2.5 million |
| Pre-Auction Estimate | $10 million / £7.3 million |
| Auction House | Heritage Auctions, USA |
| Previous Owner (Original) | Referee Ali Bin Nasser |
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The historic football sold for $3.3 million, which translates to approximately £2.5 million, at Heritage Auctions in the United States.
No, the final price fell significantly short of the auction house’s estimate. Experts had predicted the ball might fetch around $10 million (£7.3 million).
The match referee, Ali Bin Nasser from Tunisia, collected the ball at full-time and retained possession of it for more than 30 years before selling it in 2022.
During the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England, Diego Maradona used this exact ball to score the controversial “Hand of God” goal and the spectacular solo run known as the “Goal of the Century”.
Fans looking to watch modern football and other major events can safely use the Sports Live Hub (SLH) platform to find verified broadcast streams, real-time analytics, and legal free-to-air viewing options.
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