MY ACCOUNT
The shirt Diego Maradona wore in the game against England when he scored the infamous “Hand of God” goal is expected to be sold for at least £4million at auction.
Maradona scored two of the most memorable goals in World Cup history to knock the Three Lions out at the quarter-final stage in the 1986 tournament in Mexico.
The late, great former Argentina captain rose above Peter Shilton to punch his side into the lead at the Azteca Stadium and the officials failed to spot that he had handled the ball.
He then beat a host of England players before scoring a magnificent solo goal and his double was decisive as La Albiceleste won 2-1 and went on to be crowned champions.
Maradona stated that his opening goal was scored “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God” and felt he had gained “symbolic revenge” for the United Kingdom’s victory over Argentina in the Falkland Islands War.
The mercurial Napoli legend swapped shirts with England midfielder Steve Hodge after the last-eight showdown.
The shirt has been on loan to the National Football Museum in Manchester, but will be on display at Sotheby’s in London for a bidding period between April 20 to May 4 and it will not come cheap.
Brahm Wachter, head of Streetwear and modern collectables at Sotheby’s, said: “The Hand of God is truly a singular moment not only in the history of sports, but in the history of the 20th century.
“The moment resonated far beyond the world of football, coming soon after the Falklands conflict, and has in turn inspired books, films, and documentaries. Maradona is now remembered as one of the greatest to ever play the game of football — and this particular game is an instrumental part of his legacy.
“Of course, not only was ‘The Hand of God’ goal scored in this game, but also, the ‘Goal of the Century’ which is widely considered to be one of the greatest individual goals of all time.”
