Diego Maradona’s jersey auction: How much does the kit sell for?
Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ shirt has sold at auction for more than £7m, making it the most expensive shirt of all time.
The bid on the historic piece, worn during Argentina’s 1986 World Cup quarter-final win over England, closed at 4pm on 4 May and the winning offer was £7,142,500.
The shirt is owned by former England midfielder Steve Hodges, who swapped shirts with the South American legend at the end of the team’s 2-1 defeat.
In addition to the infamous ‘Hand of God’, in which Maradona punched a ball into the net in front of Three Lions goalkeeper Peter Shilton, the Argentine icon also scored the ‘Goal of the Century’ in the same match.
Maradona put his side ahead just after his controversial opening goal by dribbling more than half the length of the field before swerving deftly past the helpless Shilton.
Argentina would win the 1986 World Cup, with Maradona captaining his country to victory.
Here’s everything you need to know about today’s auction and the shirt itself…
How much does the ‘Hand of God’ shirt sell for?
Bidding was very competitive at Sotheby’s, and the shirt ended up selling for a whopping £7,142,500.
The previous record for a single match shirt was set in 2002, when Pele’s 1970 World Cup final shirt sold for £157,750 at a London auction.
What has been said about the sale of the ‘Hand of God’ shirt?
According to a report from The Sun, a group including the Argentina FA, Maradona’s family and a private memorabilia company asked Hodges to withdraw from the auction so they could buy the shirt from him.
It is claimed that an Argentine delegation has arrived in London in a last-ditch effort to secure the work for a Maradona museum in Buenos Aires.
One member is said to have told The Sun: “He [Hodges] is selling something that belongs to Maradona and the AFA without permission.
“It should be in Argentina so all Argentinians can enjoy it – not for a millionaire to display it in his closet.”
What is the story behind the ‘Hand of God’ shirt?
Despite the legendary status the shirt currently enjoys, Maradona and his teammates have almost worn a completely different kit than England’s for the quarter-final clash.
Argentina beat Uruguay 1–0 in the round of 16, wearing a blue cotton jersey that coach Carlos Bilardo believes would prove too uncomfortable in the heat of Mexico City, where the eighth game is near. This is the most of the team.
According to FIFA, Bilardo asked Argentina’s kit manufacturer for lighter blue shirts for the match against England, but the request proved impossible in the short term. so.
Instead, Bilardo sent Ruben Moschella, a member of his coaching staff, to scour the stores in Mexico City to find a suitable alternative. He returned with two different blue shirts, which the bosses were then unable to choose between.
As the legend recounts, Maradona himself appeared and said: “It is a beautiful shirt. We will beat England in that. ”
Moschella returned to the store and bought 38 of the jerseys for his team to wear against England, before a designer was hired to fashion some of the team’s temporary badges. Argentine Football Association. These symbols were then sewn onto each shirt opposite the logo of Le Coq Sportif – the supplier of the de facto Argentina kit at the time – with the silver numbers of the American team being used. Quickly iron on the back to complete the shirt.
https://www.nationalworld.com/sport/football/diego-maradona-shirt-auction-hand-of-god-kit-sell-3679756 Diego Maradona’s jersey auction: How much does the kit sell for?
