Historic “Hand of God” ball to sell for estimated price of £3m

THE HISTORIC “Hand of God” football is set to go to auction, with experts predicting the iconic memorabilia to fetch up to £3m.

The ball was used in the controversial Argentina vs England 1986 World Cup quarter-final, the setting for Diego Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal.

The item will hit the hammer at the World Cup Special Auction by Graham Budd Auctions in London on November 16th.

Organisers expects the sports memorabilia to attract multiple pursuers, with the predicted price range falling between £2.5-£3m.

The seller is Ali Bin Nasser, the referee who oversaw two of the most famous goals in history within that quarter final.

The first was the “Hand of God” goal, which saw Maradona beat English goalkeeper Peter Shilton to the ball in midair by hitting it with the outside of his hand, batting it into the goal.

Maradona’s second goal is often cited as the “Goal of the Century”, in which he covered 60 yards in 10 seconds in a mazy dribble past four English players, before beating Shilton to score.

Mr Nasser said: “This ball is part of international football history – it feels like the right time to be sharing it with the world.

“I hope the buyer is in a position to put it on display or share it with the public in some other way.”

Maradona’s controversial handball helped cement the match as one of the landmarks of football history.

The footballer later claimed he scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”.

Graham Budd, chairman of Graham Budd Auctions, said: “The timing of the match, the history between the two teams stretching back to 1951, and the famous handball have all led to this match going down as one of the most famous and emotive in football history.”

This year is no stranger to record-breaking sport auction prices.

In September, Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA finals jersey sold for £8.7m, surpassing Maradona’s shirt, from the same quarter-final, which sold for £7.4m.

“It’s an exciting time in the market and we’re wondering whether this famous football will break records as well,” Graham Budd added.

Prospective buyers can register and bid online for the item from October 28th.