Dbarta24 Sports Desk — The historic Adidas Azteca match ball used during Diego Maradona’s legendary and controversial “Hand of God” performance in the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final has been sold at auction for $3.35 million (approximately 41 crore BDT).
The auction was held on Saturday evening by Heritage Auctions. Bidding opened at $2.5 million before closing at $3.35 million.
While the sum solidifies the ball’s status as a multimillion-dollar piece of footballing history, the final hammer price fell considerably short of pre-auction estimates that anticipated bids reaching up to $10 million.
A Match Etched in Football History
The match ball is linked to two of the most iconic moments in sports history, both produced within four minutes of each other during Argentina’s 2–1 victory over England in Mexico City.
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The ‘Hand of God’ Goal: Maradona opened the scoring by leaping above goalkeeper Peter Shilton and discreetly punching the ball into the net with his left hand. Unnoticed by match officials, the goal stood.
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Goal of the Century: Just four minutes later, Maradona received the ball in his own half, embarking on a breathtaking solo run past five English defenders and the goalkeeper before finishing, a goal later voted FIFA’s “Goal of the Century”.
Valuation Analysis and Sports Memorabilia Market
Despite high expectations, the $3.35 million result highlights shifts within the high-end sports memorabilia market.
| Memorabilia Item | Sale Price / Estimate | Year Sold |
| Babe Ruth 1932 World Series Jersey | $24.12 Million | 2024 |
| Maradona 1986 Argentina Jersey | $9.30 Million | 2022 |
| Shohei Ohtani 50th Home Run Ball | $4.392 Million | 2024 |
| Maradona ‘Hand of God’ Match Ball | $3.35 Million | 2026 |
| Pre-Auction Ball Estimate | $10.00 Million | 2026 |
The ball had previously sold at Graham Budd Auctions in 2022 for £2 million ($2.37 million) when offered by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the 1986 match. A subsequent relisting in 2023 failed to sell after top bids of $2.04 million failed to meet the seller’s reserve price.
Factors Behind the Tender Demand
Analysts attribute the lower-than-expected price tag to market timing and recent sporting outcomes.
The decision to host the auction shortly after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final was intended to capitalize on global football fever.
However, Argentina’s failure to secure back-to-back titles in the tournament, combined with broader market adjustments following the post-2022 sports memorabilia boom, served to temper aggressive bidding.
Even though it missed the record for the most expensive game-used ball—held by Shohei Ohtani’s historic 50th home-run ball ($4.392 million)—the $3.35 million transaction establishes a landmark valuation benchmark for international football artifacts.