The football used by Diego Maradona to score his infamous “Hand of God” goal against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup has sold for £2.5 million ($3.3 million) at auction in the United States.

The Adidas Azteca ball was sold by Heritage Auctions on Saturday, with the final price falling significantly short of the estimated $10 million (£7.3 million) value experts had initially anticipated.

The historic ball was used throughout Argentina’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over England at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, one of the most iconic matches in World Cup history.

Maradona scored both of Argentina’s goals. His opening goal became one of football’s biggest controversies after he appeared to punch the ball over England goalkeeper Peter Shilton. The referee failed to spot the handball and awarded the goal.

After the match, Maradona famously described the goal as being scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God,” giving rise to the enduring name “Hand of God.”

Just minutes later, Maradona produced another extraordinary moment. Receiving the ball inside his own half, he dribbled past five England outfield players, rounded Shilton and found the net. The goal was later voted the “Goal of the Century.”

Ball Had Changed Hands Several Times

The Adidas Azteca remained with Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the quarter-final, for more than three decades after he collected it at the end of the match.

Bin Nasser sold the ball in 2022 for $2.37 million (£1.74 million). It was subsequently put up for auction again the following year, but the sale failed after bids did not reach the reserve price.

Before Saturday’s auction, Heritage Auctions specialist Mike Provenzale described the ball as a unique piece of football history.

Bin Nasser had also signed a letter in 2023 confirming that the Adidas Azteca was the only ball used during the match, while independent authentication subsequently supported the claim.

The latest sale comes four years after another iconic piece of memorabilia from the same match made headlines. Maradona’s Argentina shirt worn during the England quarter-final sold for £7.1 million in 2022, setting a world auction record for a sports shirt at the time.