Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ shirt for sale with $5.2M estimate

April 6, 2022 6:30 AM

By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press

Posted: April 6, 2022 6:30 AM

Updated: April 14, 2022 4:17 AM

<p>FILE - The soccer shirt, center, worn by Argentina's Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal against England is displayed at the National Football Museum in Manchester, England Nov. 26, 2020. </p>

AP Photo/Jon Super, file

FILE - The soccer shirt, center, worn by Argentina's Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal against England is displayed at the National Football Museum in Manchester, England Nov. 26, 2020.

LONDON (AP) — It was the best of moments – or the worst of moments – in soccer history, and now sports fans with deep pockets can own a piece of it.

The shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored the controversial “Hand of God” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup is for sale for the first time.

Auctioneer Sotheby’s said Wednesday that the jersey could fetch more than 4 million pounds ($5.2 million) in an online auction that opens April 20.

Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles, said the shirt is “on a small list of the most important sports memorabilia items in the world.”

Keep scrolling for a photo gallery of Diego Maradona through the years

“I’ll never get to handle anything this good again,” Wachter said. “The moment is iconic in the history of sports.”

Maradona scored two goals during the quarter-final game in Mexico City on June 22, 1986, just four years after Britain and Argentina had fought a war over the Falkland Islands. The Argentine great’s first goal was ruled a header, but the ball had bounced off Maradona’s fist, out of sight of the referee.

Maradona said afterward that it had been scored “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God.”

Maradona’s second goal saw him dribble the ball past almost the entire English team before beating goalkeeper Peter Shilton. In 2002, it was voted “goal of the century” in a FIFA poll.

Wachter said the two goals “balance each other brilliantly” and reveal two facets of Maradona’s character.

The first “was really cunning and did involve an element of luck,” he said. “But then he scored a second goal, which was one of the most unbelievable – almost angelic – goals ever.”

<p>FILE - Argentina's Diego Maradona, left, tries to go past England's Trevor Steven, during the World Cup quarter final match, in the Aztec Stadium, Mexico City, on June 22, 1986.</p>

AP file

FILE - Argentina's Diego Maradona, left, tries to go past England's Trevor Steven, during the World Cup quarter final match, in the Aztec Stadium, Mexico City, on June 22, 1986.

Argentina won the match 2-1 and went on to win the World Cup. Maradona, considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, struggled with cocaine abuse and other excesses and died in November 2020 at age 60.

After the game Maradona swapped shirts with England midfielder Steve Hodge, who never sold it, until now. For the past 20 years, it has been on loan to England’s National Football Museum in Manchester.

The blue shirt with stripes of lighter blue was a one-off, hastily assembled because the tops Argentina’s team planned to wear were judged too heavy for the Mexico City heat. The Argentinian Football Association patches were sewn on, and sparkly numbers, including Maradona’s 10, were ironed onto the back shortly before the match

Hodge said he had been a “proud owner” of a shirt that “has deep cultural meaning to the football world, the people of Argentina, and the people of England.” According to Wachter, Hodge had decided “that the time is just right” to sell.

Prices for sports memorabilia have soared in recent years. The shirt could beat a record for a piece of sportswear, held by a Babe Ruth New York Yankees jersey that sold for $5.64 million in 2019. A buyer paid $8.8 million for the manifesto that launched the modern Olympic movement, a record for a sports item.

The shirt will be on display in Sotheby’s London showroom during the April 20-May 4 bidding period.

STR
FILE - In this June 13, 1982 file photo, Argentina's Diego Maradona, front, is attacked by Belgium's Guy Vandermissen during the opening game of the Soccer World Cup in Barcelona, Spain. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo, File)
STR
FILE - In this June 29, 1982 file photo, Diego Maradona is tackled by Italy's Claudio Gentile during a World Cup second-round match between Italy and Argentina at Sarra Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo, File)
HOGP
FILE - In this July 14, 1996 file photo released by Telam, Boca Juniors' Diego Maradona, right, and teammate Claudio Caniggia kiss as they celebrate Caniggia's goal, their team's second against River Plate, before their 4-1 victory in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (Telam via AP File)
Joe Cavaretta
FILE - In this June 25, 1994 file photo, Diego Maradona leaves the field of play for a random drug test with a medical technician of the International Soccer Federation (FIFA) after the team's 2-1 win over Nigeria in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Argentine Football Association confirmed Maradona tested positive for ephedrine, a nasal decongestant that is a banned substance. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Joe Cavaretta, File)
Ismael Francisco
FILE - In this Oct. 27, 2005 file photo released by the Cuban government's National Information Agency (AIN), Cuban President Fidel Castro, right, meets Argentina's former soccer star Diego Maradona on the program "Mesa Redonda" in Havana, Cuba. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AIN/Ismael Francisco via AP)
Natacha Pisarenko
FILE - In this March 26, 2006 file photo, former soccer player Diego Maradona smokes a cigar as he watches Argentina's first division soccer match between Boca Juniors and River Plate in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)
Dario Lopez-Mills
FILE - In this Nov. 4, 2005 file photo, Diego Armando Maradona speaks to the crowd as he is embraced by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez during a rally against the presence of U.S. President Bush at the Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills, File)
Natacha Pisarenko
FILE - In this April 22, 2008 file photo, former Boca Juniors player and soccer legend Diego Armando Maradona celebrates a goal by Boca Juniors at a Copa Libertadores match against Venezuela's Union Maracaibo in Buenos Aires. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)
Carlo Fumagalli
FILE - In this June 29, 1986 file photo, Diego Maradona holds up his team's trophy after Argentina's 3-2 victory over West Germany at the World Cup final soccer match at Atzeca Stadium in Mexico City. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Carlo Fumagalli, File)
Milan
FILE - In this March 1987 file photo, Pele, left, and Maradona hold "Sports Oscar" trophies in Milan, Rome. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/File)
EDUARDO DI BAIA
FILE - In this Oct. 25, 1997 file photo, Diego Armando Maradona celebrates a goal on his last official soccer game with Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires, Argentina.The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Eduardo Di Baia, File)
Natacha Pisarenko
FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2009 file photo, under the pouring rain, Argentina's coach Diego Maradona looks up under the pouring rain during a 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match against Peru, in Buenos Aires. Argentina won 2-1. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)
SUB
FILE - In this June 22, 1986 file photo, Argentina's Diego Maradona, left, beats England's goalkeeper Peter Shilton to a high ball and scores his first of two goals at the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match in Mexico City. On this day: This was the day of the "Hand of God," when Maradona used his left fist to knock a ball past England's Shilton. (El Grafico via AP, File)
Marcos Brindicci
FILE - In this Sept. 8, 2019 file photo, former soccer great Diego Maradona gets emotional during a news conference after his presentation as the new head coach of the Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata soccer team in La Plata, Argentina. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Marcos Brindicci, File)
Francois Mori
FILE - In this May 20, 2008 file photo, former Argentine soccer player Maradona, gets a kiss from his daughters Giannina Dinorah, left, and Dalma Nerea, as they arrive for the premiere of "Maradona" during the 61st International film festival in Cannes, southern France. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
Massimo Sambucetti
FILE - In this July 25, 1984 file photo, Argentine soccer superstar Diego Armando Maradona trains with his new team, Napoli of Naples, in Castel del Piano, mountain resort in central Italy. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Massimo Sambucetti, File)
Marcos Brindicci
FILE - In this Dec. 26, 2019 file photo, former soccer great Diego Maradona flashes victory signs to fans below at the Casa Rosada government house after meeting with Argentine President Alberto Fernandez in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Decades ago, Maradona held up his team's soccer trophy at this spot on the balcony after winning the World Cup in Mexico in 1986. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Marcos Brindicci, File)
Martin Meissner
FILE - In this June 27, 2010 file photo, Argentina head coach Diego Maradona gestures during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Mexico at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
Matt Dunham
FILE - In this June 27, 2010 file photo, Argentina head coach Diego Maradona, left, gives instructions to Argentina's Lionel Messi during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Mexico at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)
STR
FILE - In this June 10, 1987 file photo, former Brazilian soccer player Pele, center, clasps hands with Italian captain Alessandro Altobelli, left, and Argentine captain Diego Maradona, after he is awarded the FIFA honor medal before the start of the final match between Argentina and Italy in Zurich, Switzerland. The Argentine soccer great who was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity, died from a heart attack on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020, at his home in Buenos Aires. He was 60. (AP Photo, File)
Natacha Pisarenko
FILE - In this March 7, 2020 file photo, Diego Maradona, coach of Gimnasia y Esgrima, sits on the bench prior to Argentina's soccer league match against Boca Juniors at La Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Maradona turns 60 on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)