Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ World Cup shirt to be auctioned off

The shirt worn by Argentine football legend Diego Maradona when he scored his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal is to be auctioned.

Diego Maradona scoring the ‘Hand of God’ goal

The iconic blue away shirt is currently owned by the former England player Steve Hodge and is expected to sell for more than £4 million.

Maradona infamously punched the ball into the net during the quarter-final against England at the 1986 World Cup before later netting the ‘Goal of the Century’ as Argentina went on to lift football’s greatest prize.

Hodge swapped shirts with the footballing icon – who died in 2020 at the age of 60 – after the game and has owned the item ever since.

The shirt has spent the past 20 years on loan at the National Football Museum in Manchester but fans will now have the chance to buy it at a dedicated auction held by Sotheby’s. The bidding will open on 20 April and will last until 4 May.

Hodge said: “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. 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.”