It may not immeidately come to the minds of North American sports fans as one of the most important jerseys ever worn, but to the rest of the world, it’s about as good as it gets. The blue shirt worn by Argentinian superstar Diego Maradona during the most memorable game of his legendary career is about to go up for auction and could challenge the world record for the highest priced sports jersey ever sold.
Sotheby’s announced Wednesday that it would be offering the blue jersey on consignment from the English player who obtained it post-match in what could best be described as the greatest soccer jersey trade of all-time.
The jersey is expected to sell for over $5 million.
The record for the most expensive sports jersey ever sold is $5.6 million for a Babe Ruth Yankees flannel from early in his career that had been consigned to Hunt Auctions by Ruth’s granddaughter and family members. That sale took place in 2019 and at the time was also the priciest piece of any traditional sports memorabilia ever sold.
The Goals
On 22 June 1986, the 25-year-old Maradona made history in what is now one of the world’s most famous football matches – the Argentina-England quarterfinal of the FIFA World Cup. Maradona scored two of the most extraordinary goals ever recorded.
The first goal, known as “The Hand of God” occurred when Maradona scored a cunning goal with his hand. As the referees did not have a clear view of the play, the goal stood, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead in the contest. Following the game, Maradona was quoted saying the now-iconic goal was made “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God.”
The second goal, the “Goal of the Century” – which many consider to be the greatest individual goal of all time – occurred when Maradona dribbled past a host of English players, dancing around them in angelic style, driving the ball up-field and eventually scoring against English goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
To coincide with the 2002 World Cup, FIFA held a vote over the course of six weeks, with 340,000 participants from over 150 countries casting their ballot for “goal of the century.” Maradona’s effort won the vote.
The Trade
Following the match, English midfielder Steve Hodge – who had unintentionally flicked the ball to Maradona on the “The Hand of God” play – approached Maradona and asked to swap shirts, a gesture that the player reciprocated.
“I have been the proud owner of this item for over 35 years, since Diego and I swapped shirts in the tunnel after the famed match,” Hodge stated. “It was an absolute privilege to have played against one of the greatest and most magnificent football players of all time. It has also been a pleasure to share it with the public over the last 20 years at the National Football Museum, where it has been on display. The Hand of God shirt has deep cultural meaning to the football world, the people of Argentina, and the people of England and I’m certain that the new owner will have immense pride in owning the world’s most iconic football shirt.”
Argentina would go on to win the cup, and this day cemented Maradona’s name permanently in sports history.
The Shirt and the Auction
The jersey will be the lone item in the auction. Bidding will open April 20 with the jersey on display at Sotheby’s New Bond Street gallery in London throughout the auction.
Beyond the story of football, the match was also a symbolic one for many, given the historical context of the rivalry between Argentina and England, in particular the Falklands War, which took place just four years prior. This conflict and its grave outcome imbued the outcome with deep context for both nations, as stated in Maradona’s own autobiography.
The shirt itself has its own backstory, as after beating Uruguay in the Round of 16, the coach Carlos Bilardo was concerned that their usual cotton jerseys might be too heavy in the scorching heat of Mexico City and thus went looking for a last-minute replacement. The choice came down to two options and Maradona took one look at this very style of jersey and said “That one. We’ll beat England in that one.”
At the training camp, just before the match, makeshift Argentinian Football Association patches were sewn on, and the numbers were ironed to the back. In Maradona’s words: “When we went out onto the field, some of the guys had sparkles on their face because the numbers were silver and sparkly… And after genius kit man Tito Benros had ironed those numbers onto 38 jerseys, he looked like he should have been at a carnival, not at Azteca Stadium.”
“The Hand of God is truly a singular moment not only in the history of sports, but in the history of the 20th century,” proclaimed Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Streetwear and Modern Collectables. “The moment resonated far beyond the world of football, coming soon after the Falklands conflict, and has in turn inspired books, films, and documentaries. Maradona is now remembered as one of the greatest to ever play the game of football – and this particular game is an instrumental part of his legacy.”
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