Diego Maradona's shirt from infamous 'hand of God' cheat game set to raise £4m at auction

The shirt that Diego Maradona wore when he netted his illegal 'hand of God' goal against England is expected to fetch more than £4million at auction later this month

Posted Thursday, April 07, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

The shirt Diego Maradona wore when he bagged his iconic "Hand of God" goal is set to be sold

The shirt that Diego Maradona when he netted his infamous 'hand of God' goal to break England hearts is expected to fetch more than £4million at auction.

Maradona used his hand to net one of the most infamous goals of all time to knock England out of the World Cup in 1986. Argentina went on to win the entire tournament, with the late, great Maradona etching his name into footballing folklore forever by netting a second solo goal that was later voted as the "Goal of the Century".

After Maradona's sad passing in November 2020, the shirt he wore on that iconic day is now set to be auctioned off by Sotheby's later this month. The auction will kick off on the 20th April and conclude on the 4th May, with the shirt on display as part of a public exhibition at Sotheby's London during that period.

The shirt has been put up for auction by ex-England midfielder Steve Hodge - the unfortunate player who sliced the ball into Maradona's path for the illegal strike. Hodge had previously insisted that he wasn't interested in selling the shirt - whatever the price - after it's value skyrocketed following Maradona's death.

But Hodge - who has often loaned the shirt out for public displays - is now set to put the shirt up for auction. He said on Wednesday: “I have been the proud owner of this item for over 35 years, since Diego and I swapped shirts in the tunnel after the famed match. "It was an absolute privilege to have played against one of the greatest and most magnificent football players of all time.

Maradona's iconic shirt is expected to fetch more than £4million

"It has also been a pleasure to share it with the public over the last 20 years at the National Football Museum, where it has been on display. The Hand of God shirt has deep cultural meaning to the football world, the people of Argentina, and the people of England and I’m certain that the new owner will have immense pride in owning the world’s most iconic football shirt.”

Brahm Wachter, the head of streetwear and modern collectibles at Sotheby’s, which is auctioning the shirt, said: “The ‘hand of God’ is truly a singular moment not only in the history of sports, but in the history of the 20th century.

“The moment resonated far beyond the world of football, coming soon after the Falklands conflict, and has in turn inspired books, films, and documentaries. Maradona is now remembered as one of the greatest to ever play the game of football – and this particular game is an instrumental part of his legacy.”