£2.5m paid for Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' ball
The football that Diego Maradona used to score his iconic 'hand of God' goal during the 1986 World Cup has been auctioned for £2.5m. Maradona infamously punched the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton in Argentina's 2-1 victory over England in the quarter-finals. Following the match, he remarked to reporters that the goal was scored "partly with the head of Maradona and partly with the hand of God". In the same match, Maradona also netted what is referred to as the 'goal of the century', skillfully dribbling past five England players before placing the ball past Shilton. Although it was sold for $3.3m (£2.5m) at Heritage Auctions in the United States on Saturday, the ball was anticipated to reach a price closer to $10m (£7.3m). Prior to the auction, Mike Provenzale, an auction specialist at Heritage, stated: "It's a true one-of-one item. Arguably the most significant soccer item that exists." Ali Bin Nasser, the Tunisian referee who officiate...