Maradona 1986 World Cup ball set for major auction

The ball used in Argentina’s 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England is set to return to the spotlight, with Heritage Auctions preparing to offer one of football’s most famous pieces of memorabilia for sale.

Few objects in the sport carry a story quite like this one. In that match, Diego Maradona scored twice in a performance that became part of football folklore: first with the goal later immortalised as the “Hand of God”, and then with the solo effort widely known as the “Goal of the Century”. The auction house believes the same ball was used throughout the full 90 minutes.

A relic from one of football’s defining matches

Maradona’s first goal in the game became one of the most debated moments in World Cup history. He later acknowledged the handball, but the phrase “Hand of God” had already entered the sport’s mythology. The second goal only deepened the legend.

Sport.pl recalled that Maradona’s run for the second strike lasted 10 seconds and included 10 touches after he began on his own half and went past six England players. That goal remains, for many, one of the finest ever scored.

Dan Imler, vice-president of Heritage Auctions’ sports division, described it to AFP, via RMC Sport, as the most iconic ball in football history. The sale is scheduled to run from 21 to 23 August, with an opening price of $2.5 million. Estimates suggest the final bid could rise beyond $10 million.

Why the ball is considered authentic

The route by which the ball reached the market has also drawn attention. Ali Bennaceur, the Tunisian referee who officiated the match, explained in a letter published in 2023 that FIFA rules at the time made the referee responsible for the ball. He also stated that it was the only ball used for the entire match.

According to Bennaceur, after the final whistle his assistant referees — Bogdan Dochev, Benry Ulloa Morera and Idrissa Traore — signed the ball, and those signatures remain visible. Heritage Auctions says two companies specialising in sports memorabilia authentication supported that version, primarily through photographic analysis.

A growing market for elite football memorabilia

This is not the first time the item has surfaced. Bennaceur previously put the ball up for auction in November 2022, when its value reached $2 million. It was later offered again in February 2023 on the Goldin platform, where bidding reached $2.04 million, but it did not sell because the reserve price was not met.

The latest attempt comes in a market that has become increasingly aggressive at the very top end. Heritage Auctions believes demand for rare sporting artefacts has grown significantly, and Maradona-related items have already shown their pulling power.

• Opening price for the upcoming auction: $2.5 million
• Estimated final price: above $10 million
• Maradona’s shirt from the same match sold for $9.28 million in 2022
• His captain’s armband from that game was recently sold for $512,000

Those figures help explain why this latest sale is being watched so closely. Whether it surpasses expectations or not, the ball stands as a rare link to one of the most famous matches and one of the most enduring individual performances in football history.