THE ICONIC DIEGO MARADONA "HAND OF GOD" BALL HEADS TO AUCTION

World Cup fever may be over but the most famous ball in the history of the world’s most popular sport  is heading to a live sale with Heritage Auctions..

When Argentina squared off in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal in Mexico City, against England, each thought to be a legitimate contender to win the coveted trophy, four years after they were at war in the Falkland Islands. After an intense scoreless first half, the 25-year-old Maradona, the Argentinean striker who had taken international soccer by storm with his electric style and highlight-reel goals, raced behind the English defense, outjumped English goalkeeper Peter Shilton, who at 6-1 stood a full 8 inches taller than the 5-5 Maradona, to knock in the game’s first goal in the 51st minute.

Members of the English squad immediately turned to the officials in protest, contending that the score should be waived off because Maradona had scored the goal with his left hand, not his head. But referee Ali Ben Nasser and assistant referee (linesman) Bogdan Dochev missed the infraction, and in the absence of any kind of replay, the goal stood.

After the game, Maradona explained the goal to the gathered media. “Un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios,” he said — translated: “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” It was less an outright denial of a violation of the rules and more of a deflection, deftly dancing around the question. The controversial goal definitely changed the tenor of the game and will be remembered forever.

But just four minutes later, Maradona collected a pass a few yards behind the midfield line and shredded the English defense, dribbling past five would-be defenders on a 60-yard sprint toward the goal and tucking the ball — the same ball offered in this auction — past Shilton in what came to be known as the “Goal of the Century.” The goal was no meaningless highlight at the end of a lopsided contest. It stood up as the game-winner, a tally that sent Argentina through to the semifinal, which it won over Belgium before knocking off West Germany in the title game to win the World Cup.

After that match, the ball passed into the custody of the one man whose authority made him uniquely positioned to preserve it. A signed 2023 letter of provenance from referee Ali Bennaceur states that this was the match ball used throughout the entirety of the Argentina-England quarter-final, that no reserve ball was required, and that the ball remained in play for both the "Hand of God" goal and the "Goal of the Century." Bennaceur further explains that FIFA protocol granted ownership of the match ball to the central referee and recounts how, immediately after the match, he took possession of it and had fellow match officials Bogdan Dotchev, Berny Ulloa, and Idrissa Traore sign the ball as witnesses to its significance. He attests that the ball remained in his personal possession in Tunisia for more than three decades thereafter.

Not surprisingly, the 2026 World Cup created a surge of interest in soccer collectibles, and the auction brings together an unmatched trove of treasures from the greatest players in the history of the sport. The Addidas Azteca auction on August 22, 2026, starts with opening bids of $2.5 million and isexpected price tag of $10 million +