Overview
- Heritage Auctions in Dallas sold the Adidas Azteca ball used by Diego Maradona for both the “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century” for $3.35 million, with the lot opening at $2.5 million.
- The sale closed on Saturday and the buyer’s identity was not disclosed, marking the ball’s third time entering the market after referee Ali Bin Nasser kept it for decades and sold it in 2022.
- Provenance was supported by photo‑matching of game images and a 2023 letter signed by referee Ali Bin Nasser that says the ball was the only one used during the match, and independent authenticators later confirmed those findings.
- The final price sits well below Heritage’s $10 million projection and below recent high‑profile ball sales such as Shohei Ohtani’s $4.392 million ball, while remaining far under the roughly $9.3 million paid for Maradona’s 1986 jersey.
- Market observers say the result could recalibrate expectations for non‑jersey football artifacts, influence how auction houses price iconic game balls, and remind sellers that cultural symbolism does not always translate into record auction prices.