Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ shirt auctioned for record £7.14m

Today, the shirt worn for “The Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century”, which many consider to be the greatest individual goal of all time, sold at auction for £7.14m – marking a new auction record for any item of sports memorabilia.

The shirt came from the collection of English midfielder Steve Hodge – who had unintentionally flicked the ball to Maradona on the “The Hand of God” play – with whom Maradona had swapped shirts after the match, as Maradona himself recalled in his autobiography ‘Touched by God’.

Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s Head of Streetwear and Modern Collectables, said: “This historic shirt is a tangible reminder of an important moment not only in the history of sports, but in the history of the 20th century.

“In the weeks since we announced the auction we have been inundated by sports fans and collectors alike, with a palpable excitement in the air for the duration of the public exhibition  – and this unfiltered enthusiasm was echoed in the bidding. This is arguably the most coveted football shirt to ever come to auction, and so it is fitting that it now holds the auction record for any object of its kind.”