In the quarterfinal of the 1986 World Cup, the Argentina team defeated England 2:1, and D. Maradona scored one goal with his hand by sending the ball past goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
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On Saturday, at the “Heritage Auctions” auction held in the USA, the ball was sold for 3.3 million US dollars, although it was expected to receive an offer of about 10 million US dollars (7.3 million pounds).
“This is a true one-of-a-kind item. It can be said that this is the most significant existing object in football history,” Heritage auction specialist Mike Provenzale told Reuters before the auction.
The Tunisian Ali Bin Nasser, who refereed the 1986 match, took the “Adidas Azteca” ball after the final whistle and kept it for more than three decades.
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In 2023, he signed a document confirming that this was the only ball used throughout the match. Its authenticity was also confirmed by independent experts.
D. Maradona’s jersey worn in the same match was sold at auction in 2022 for 7.1 million pounds sterling.
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