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The ball used for Diego Maradona's famous "Hand of God" goal and celebrated solo effort against England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup sold for $3.35 million at auction, according to Heritage Auctions, well below the pre-auction estimate of at least $10 million.
The Dallas-based auction house sold the Adidas Azteca ball, which experts matched to photographs taken during the match, Saturday night. Bidding opened at $2.5 million.
The ball was used during Argentina's 2-1 quarterfinal victory over England, in which Maradona scored two of the most memorable goals in World Cup history.
His first goal became known as the "Hand of God" after he used his left hand to send the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton, with officials allowing the goal to stand.
Four minutes later, the Argentina captain collected the ball in his own half and dribbled past five England players before scoring a goal later voted the FIFA World Cup "Goal of the Century."
The 1986 quarterfinal carried political weight beyond football, coming four years after Argentina and the United Kingdom fought a war over the Falkland Islands. The match remains one of the most closely watched fixtures in World Cup history.
Before the auction, Heritage described the ball as arguably the most famous in any sport and said it could become the most valuable soccer item ever sold.
The final price fell well short of that ambition and also missed the value of Maradona's shirt from the same match, which sold for nearly $9.3 million at Sotheby's in 2022.
The ball's own sales history reflects that gap in demand. It was first sold in 2022 to Graham Budd Auctions for $2.37 million.
A 2023 relisting failed to meet its reserve price, with the highest bid reaching $2.04 million. It returned to market this summer amid renewed attention around the 2026 World Cup.
Some of the shortfall has been attributed to timing: the auction closed more than a month after the 2026 World Cup ended, and Argentina did not retain the title it won in 1986.
Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser kept the ball for 36 years after officiating the 1986 match before it was first sold in 2022.
Maradona, widely regarded as one of the sport's greatest players, died in November 2020 at age 60. He captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title, the country's second, after defeating England.
The sale also fell short of the auction record for a ball from any sport. Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball from his 2024 Major League Baseball season sold for $4.392 million, including the buyer's premium.
The overall sports memorabilia auction record is held by the New York Yankees jersey Babe Ruth wore during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, which Heritage sold for $24.12 million in 2024.
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