The legendary ball with which Diego Maradona scored one of the most controversial goals in football history has been sold at auction for $3.3 million, equivalent to 1.51 billion tenge. The Adidas Azteca used in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England was the item in question, reports infohub.kz.
That match became one of the most famous in Maradona's career. In the 51st minute, he scored a goal with his hand, although by the rules the goal should have been disallowed. The referee did not notice the infringement and allowed the goal. After the game, Maradona himself commented with a smile: "It was a little bit the head of Maradona and a little bit the hand of God."
A few minutes later, the Argentine scored a second goal, which was later dubbed the "Goal of the Century." Maradona dribbled through half the field, beat five English players, and slotted the ball past the goalkeeper. Argentina won the match 2-1.
After the final whistle, Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser took the ball and kept it for over 30 years. In 2023, he confirmed in writing that this Adidas Azteca was the only ball used in the match. Later, its authenticity was further confirmed by independent experts.
Bin Nasser first put the ball up for auction in 2022, when it sold for $2.37 million (just over 1 billion tenge). The new owner tried to resell it in 2023, but the auction ended without a deal: bidders did not meet the reserve price.
This time, the ball went under the hammer for $3.3 million. However, expectations were significantly higher: experts had estimated it could fetch around $10 million (4.5 billion tenge).
For comparison, Maradona's shirt from the same match against England was sold at auction in 2022 for $9.6 million (4.4 billion tenge).
Earlier it was reported that the original lightsaber used by Mark Hamill in the filming of "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" was sold at auction for a record $3.75 million (just over 1.7 billion tenge).