How Diego Maradona's Legendary 'Hand of God' Ball Stacks Up Against the Priciest Sports Memorabilia in History

The soccer ball used by Diego Maradona to score two of the most iconic goals in the sport's storied history has fetched $3.35 million at auction, falling considerably short of its estimated value and the all-time record for sports memorabilia.

Heritage Auctions had proclaimed the adidas Azteca ball, used during the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal between Argentina and England, to be "the most famous ball in the history" of any sport, forecasting a staggering return of $10 million.

However, an inability to ride the wave of excitement from this summer's World Cup — which concluded with Argentina's bitter loss to Spain more than a month before the auction wrapped up — meant the physical symbol of Maradona's brilliance failed to meet expectations.

The ball's remarkable backstory goes a long way in explaining that initial optimism.

Maradona delivered one of the greatest individual performances in soccer history on the world's biggest stage 40 years ago. His first of two goals that propelled Argentina into the semifinals was famously dubbed the 'Hand of God' by the man himself, after he leapt above England goalkeeper Peter Shilton to punch the ball into the net, giving Argentina a 1–0 lead in the 51st minute. "B------- was it the 'Hand of God,'" Maradona would later reflect in his autobiography. "It was the hand of Diego! And it felt a little bit like pickpocketing the English."

The second goal Maradona scored with that same ball just four minutes later is regarded with even greater reverence. The "cosmic kite," as Uruguayan commentator Víctor Hugo Morales memorably described him during his radio broadcast of the goal, dribbled past half the England squad before rounding Shilton and slotting the ball into an empty net.

Magical Maradona! 🤩#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/bymBCYbT1h

"It is a dream goal," Maradona reflected. "When I was in Fiorito I used to dream of scoring a goal like that on the little makeshift pitch, for Estrella Roja, and I did it in a World Cup, for my country."

Yet, when pressed to compare the two, he admitted: "Sometimes I think I almost enjoyed that one more, the first one."

The ball at the center of both goals still couldn't attract the anticipated price tag. In fact, it sold for a fraction of what Maradona's shirt from that same match commanded.

Most Expensive Sports Memorabilia Ever Sold

The referee who missed Maradona's handball kept the ball as a personal memento before eventually selling it to Graham Budd Auctions for $2.37 million in 2022. The Tunisian official Ali Bin Nasser's ball ultimately fetched $3.35 million — roughly a third of what Maradona's jersey from the same match sold for.

England's Steve Hodge, the player whose ill-fated back pass led directly to Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal, famously held onto the iconic blue shirt the Argentine had been wearing. After keeping it for 36 years, Hodge finally cashed in, selling it for $9.3 million back in May 2022.

That remains the most expensive piece of soccer memorabilia ever sold. Even six of Lionel Messi's match-worn jerseys from the 2022 World Cup — which Argentina won — including his kits for the semifinal and final, 'only' fetched $7.8 million in December 2023.

Data via Sportico.

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Four separate items from the world of dominant North American sports have surpassed the $10 million mark. Trading cards from both baseball and basketball have commanded extraordinary sums, yet nothing comes close to the $24.1 million fetched by Babe Ruth's 1932 jersey.

Much like Maradona's memorabilia, it was Ruth's own legendary antics that generated so much of the item's value. The iconic New York Yankees slugger was taunted by Chicago Cubs fans during Game 3 of the World Series at Wrigley Field. According to legend, Ruth pointed to predict his home run before launching the next pitch 490 feet toward the center field flagpole.