Hand Of God Ball Sparks Bidding Frenzy

One of the most infamous moments in soccer history just got a price tag — the actual ball Diego Maradona used to score the “Hand of God” goal in 1986 is heading to auction with an estimated value of up to $10 million.

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Heritage Auctions set a $2.5 million opening bid for the 1986 World Cup match ball, with estimates reaching $10 million.
The ball was used for the full 90 minutes of Argentina’s quarterfinal win over England on June 22, 1986.
The same ball was sold at auction in 2022 for $2.4 million — this sale could more than quadruple that price.
Maradona’s jersey from the same game sold for about $9 million in 2022, setting a record for sports memorabilia at the time.

A Ball Worth More Than Most Mansions

Dallas-based Heritage Auctions announced the sale of the deflated Adidas “Official World Ball 6” used in the famous Argentina vs. England 1986 World Cup quarterfinal. Bidding opens at $2.5 million, with Heritage estimating the final price could reach $10 million. The auction closes the weekend of August 21–23. Heritage says the ball has been photo-matched to both of Maradona’s goals from that day — the “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century.”

The ball was used for the full 90 minutes of the match at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. After the game, referee Ali Bin Nasser — the Tunisian official who missed Maradona’s handball — kept the ball. He held onto it for nearly four decades before selling it at auction in 2022 for $2.4 million. Now the ball is back on the market, and the price expectations have jumped dramatically.

The Goals That Made the Ball Famous

On June 22, 1986, Maradona scored two of the most talked-about goals in soccer history — in the same game, just minutes apart. His first goal came when he punched the ball into the net with his left hand. The referees missed it, and the goal stood. Maradona later said it was scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” His second goal that day is widely called the best goal ever scored.

Argentina beat England 2-1 and went on to win the World Cup. The match carried extra weight because it came just four years after Argentina and England fought the Falklands War. The political tension made the game — and Maradona’s goals — even more charged. That history adds to the ball’s appeal for collectors willing to spend millions.

Big Money in Sports Memorabilia

This auction fits a booming trend in high-end sports collectibles. Maradona’s jersey from that same 1986 match sold for about $9.2 million in 2022, setting a world record for sports memorabilia at the time. If the ball fetches its estimated value, it would surpass the shirt’s price. The sports memorabilia market has surged in recent years, pushing prices on iconic items far beyond what many collectors expected just a decade ago.

One note worth keeping in mind: authentication in the sports memorabilia world relies heavily on auction house assessments and photo-matching rather than independent scientific testing. Maradona’s family previously tried to stop the 2022 sale of his shirt, claiming it was not the correct jersey. Sotheby’s stood by its authentication at the time. Heritage Auctions has made similar provenance claims for this ball, but buyers at this price level should weigh that context carefully before bidding.