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‘Hand of God’: Maradona’s iconic shirt to be auctioned in London
A piece of the most controversial moment in soccer history is being auctioned.
It’s the shirt that football legend Diego Maradona wore while scoring the controversial ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.
The jersey – being put on sale for the first time – could fetch more than 4 million pounds ($5.2 million) in an online auction that opens April 20, Auctioneer Sotheby’s was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
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”.
Football fans can’t forget that Maradona scored two goals in the quarter-final match in Mexico City on June 22, 1986. The referee allowed the first goal as a header, even though the ball had touched Maradona’s fist.
Maradona later said it had been scored “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God”.
In a 2019 documentary, he said the goal was a revenge for the British victory over Argentina in the Falkland Islands war.
While netting the second goal, he dodged nearly all the English defenders and punched the ball by beating one of the best goalkeepers Peter Shilton. A Fifa poll saw it being voted “goal of the century” in 2002.
Argentina won that game 2-1 and went on to lift the world cup. After the match, Maradona swapped shirts with the England midfielder Steve Hodge.
Since then, the shirt has been on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester, northern England.
But now, Hodge has decided to sell the jersey. 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”.
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, the AP reported.
It will be exhibited in Sotheby’s London showroom from April 20-May 4.
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