The shirt of Maradona was sold for 7.1 million pounds.
On Wednesday, the shirt worn by Diego Maradona when he scored two of soccer’s most famous goals was sold for 7.14 million pounds ($8.93 million), setting a new auction record for sports memorabilia.
In the 1986 World Cup quarter-final versus England in Mexico, Maradona donned Argentina’s No. 10 shirt. He put his team ahead six minutes into the second half by punching the ball into the net for what became known as the “Hand of God” goal.
Maradona dribbled from his own half four minutes later to score one of the greatest goals in World Cup history.
After the game, England midfielder Steve Hodge received Maradona’s jersey and announced it.
“This historic shirt is a physical remembrance of a key time not only in sports history, but in the history of the twentieth century,” Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Streetwear and Modern Collectables, said.
The buyer, according to Sotheby’s, remained nameless.
The original autograph manuscript of the Olympic Manifesto from 1892, which sold for $8.8 million in 2019, was the previous record for sports memorabilia.
The sale of Maradona’s jersey was complicated by accusations that Hodge obtained the shirt Maradona wore in the first half of the match, according to his daughter and ex-wife.
By “scrutinizing distinctive elements,” Sotheby’s said they were able to “conclusively” match the shirt to both goals using photo matching technology.
