Jump to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleHarry Latham-CoyleMonday 24 August 2026 10:35 BST(Getty)The football used by Diego Maradona to score his famous "Hand of God" goal against England at the 1986 World Cup has been sold at auction in the United States for £2.5m ($3.3m).Sold by Heritage Auctions, the final bidding price fell significantly short of pre-sale expectations, which had estimated the match ball could command as much as £7.3m ($10m).The match referee, Ali Bin Nasser of Tunisia, kept the Adidas Azteca ball for more than three decades after failing to spot Maradona's handball, before initially selling it in 2022 for £1.74m ($2.37m).During the quarter-final tie in Mexico City, Maradona scored twice past English goalkeeper Peter Shilton, following up the controversial opening goal with a renowned solo effort to secure Argentina's progression.Following the match, the Argentina captain famously remarked to reporters that the opening goal was scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God".In fullDiego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball sells for £2.5mMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in