The shirt worn by the Argentine footballer Diego Maradona in the 1986 “Hand of God” World Cup match against England is to go up for auction with an estimated value of seven million euros.
Maradona swapped shirts with the England midfielder Steve Hodge at the end of Argentina's 2-1 victory at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico.
And for the past 18 years, the former Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur star has allowed the shirt to be displayed at the National Football Museum in Manchester, northern England.
But Hodge's decision to sell the jersey has reactivated memories of skulduggery, appalling officiating and preternatural skills during the infamous quarter-final.
Five minutes after the pause, Hodge, on the edge of the England penalty area, tried to cut out a pass but inadvertently flicked the ball up into the air and back towards goal.
Maradona, running into the box, jumped with England's goalkeeper Peter Shilton and punched the ball over Shilton's head and into the net.
Maradona turned away to celebrate and his theatrics duped the officials into believing that he had headed the ball.
Without video assistance, they allowed the goal to stand to the fury of the England players and the disbelief of the world watching on TV.
Four minutes after the shenanigans, Maradona showcased his otherworldly brilliance.
Receiving the ball and turning inside his own half, Maradona left five English defenders in his wake before drawing out Shilton - considered one of the best keepers in the world - and slotting the ball past him into the net.
After the game, Maradona was reported as saying his first goal was made “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”.
In a 2019 documentary, Maradona described the goal as revenge for the British victory over Argentina in the war in 1982 for the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
Hero
Argentina went on to lift the 1986 World Cup for the second time in eight years and Maradona was consecrated a national hero.
After his death from a heart attack in November 2020, the country held three days of mourning.
Sotheby's said that it will hold its own public display of the jersey in London during the online auction which is scheduled to take place between 20 April and 4 May.
Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's head of streetwear and modern collectibles, said: “The list is long for the type of people or organisations that might want to own the item.
"It could be an individual, it could be a museum, it could be just somebody who wants to own the best of the best, a football lover or a club."
Bidding for the Maradona shirt will start at 5 million euros.
“It was one of those moments in history when sports can transcend the boundaries of just a game,” said Wachter.
Hodge, whose autobiography is entitled: The Man with Maradona's Shirt, said in a statement: “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 the shirt with the public over the last 20 years at the National Football Museum.”
The museum says it will not bid for the jersey. “But we would love to have it back on display at the museum if the successful buyer should need a safe keeper,” said a spokesman.
