The jersey that Argentina football legend, Diego Maradona, wore when he scored twice against England in the 1986 World Cup, including the infamous “hand of God” goal, was auctioned for $9.3 million, a record for any item of sports memorabilia, Sotheby said Wednesday.
Seven bidders reportedly vied for the garment in an auction that began April 20 and ended Wednesday morning.
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“This historic shirt is a tangible reminder of an important moment not only in the history of sports but in the history of the 20th century,” Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles, Brahm Wachter, said in a statement after the sale.
“This is arguably the most coveted football shirt to ever come to auction, and so it is fitting that it now holds the auction record for any object of its kind,” he said.
The jersey had been owned since the end of the controversial encounter by opposing midfielder Steve Hodge, who swapped his jersey with Maradona after England lost 2-1 in Mexico City.
Maradona’s daughter cast doubt on the sale earlier this month when she claimed that the shirt put up for auction had been the one her father wore in the goalless first half, not the second when he scored his two goals.
Sotheby insisted they had the right shirt though.
The previous record for a game-worn shirt from any sport was $5.6 million, set in 2019 for a jersey Babe Ruth wore while on the New York Yankees. (AFP)
