'Hand of God' match ball made famous by Diego Maradona up for auction and expected to fetch £3million, as referee who kept it decides to cash in – and Gary Lineker can't believe it
Lee Davey
The ball used by Diego Maradona to score the 'Hand of God' goal against England in the 1986 World Cup is for sale – and could be snapped up for a cool £3million.
The infamous goal that saw the Argentine maestro punch the ball into the net is one of football's most iconic moments, and now the match ball used that day is set to go up for auction in the UK.
Maradona scored two of the most famous goals of all time against England at the 1986 World Cup – including the infamous 'Hand of God'
England were beaten 2-1 in the quarter-final in Mexico City thanks to Maradona's cheeky antics, followed by one of the World Cup's greatest ever solo strikes dubbed 'Goal of the Century'.
The referee on that day, Ali Bin Nasser, has kept hold of the ball ever since, but has now decided to sell up with Graham Budd Auctions on November 16, with bids expected to reach up to £3m.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Gary Lineker, who played in the game for England joked he was thrilled for him.
"How the hell did the referee end up with the ball!?
"The gall of the referee to keep the ball all this time and will now cash in on the biggest mistake in refereeing history. Really?"
The Tunisian official has never revealed how he came into possession of the ball, but came clean on why he has chosen now as the right time to cash in on the piece of memorabilia… and why he allowed the goal to stand.
There was no contesting Maradona's sublime second goal as he scored a solo effort to put Argentina 2-0 up
Maradona went on to lead Argentina to the 1986 World Cup beating West Germany 3-2 in the final
"This ball is part of international football history – it feels like the right time to be sharing it with the world," said Bin Nasser.
"At Mexico '86 I was among the 42 referees at the tournament. African referees didn't get the same opportunities as those in Europe, so to be told by FIFA that I was chosen because I was among the best in the world was a huge honour and a career highlight.
"As for Maradona's first goal, I couldn't see the incident clearly, the two players [Peter] Shilton and Maradona were facing me from behind.
"As per FIFA's instructions issued before the tournament I looked to my linesman for confirmation of the validity of the goal. He made his way back to the halfway line indicating he was satisfied that the goal should stand.
"At the end of the match the England head coach Bobby Robson said to me, 'You did a good job but the linesman was irresponsible'."
Viewed by many one of the greatest players to ever play the game, Maradona died of a heart attack in 2020 aged 60.
The former Napoli star first made reference to the iconic catchphrase when later admitting his controversial goal was scored 'a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God'.
His admission did not go down well in the England camp, leaving goalkeeper Shilton and defender Terry Butcher angry with the injustice of what occurred on that day 36 years ago.
Maradona and Shilton shake hands before kick off with Bin Nasser the man in the middle
Diego Maradona passed away in 2020 after suffering a heart attack in Buenos Aires
However, England legend Stuart Peace doesn't hold it against the Argentina great – although, of course, he might have felt a little differently had he played in that game.
"I've never really had the hang-up about this 'Hand of God' situation, honestly," Pearce told talkSPORT shortly after Maradona's passing.
"I know a lot of people do, and a lot of English people do. But, for me, it doesn't tarnish what he is and what he stands for if I'm being honest."
Graham Budd, chairman of Graham Budd Auctions, said they were expecting the ball to be 'hugely popular' at the auction after being involved in 'one of the most famous and emotive matches in history'.
He 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 matches in football history.
"With the history surrounding the ball, we are expecting this lot to be hugely popular when it comes up for auction."