THE LEGENDARY shirt worn by Diego Maradona in the famous 1986 game against England is set to be auctioned off for more than £4 million pounds.
The Argentine is touted as one of the greatest players to have played the game and after suffering from Illness in 2020, the 60-year-old passed away.
Maradona scored two goals against the English at the World Cup in Mexico. one a run from the halfway line beating several defenders, the other, the much maligned "Hand of God"
The player who picked up Maradona's shirt at the time was Steve Hodge. Hodge was the player that flicked the ball to Maradona for his first goal.
22 June 1986, Maradona scored the greatest goal of all-time. 🔥💙 #ArgentinaEnglandpic.twitter.com/6eCR68gKVm
— Everything Napoli (@NapoliAndNaples) June 22, 2020
The players swapped jerseys after the game, but these days the famous shirt has been on loan at the National Football Museum in Manchester.
Hodge said: "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.
"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."
A dedicated online auction will run from April 20 to May 4, alongside an exhibition showing the jersey at the Sotheby’s gallery in London
On the auctioneer's website Sotheby's, it states:
"Part of Sotheby’s challenge in evaluating the shirt was pinpointing the shirt to the two historic goals."
"As part of this endeavor, Sotheby’s worked with Resolution Photomatching in order to match the shirt to both goals, examining unique details on various elements of the item, including the patch, stripes, and numbering. Resolution Photomatching was able to make a conclusive photomatch to the celebration following “The Hand of God” goal."
New York Yankees star Babe Ruth's shirt holds the record for a shirt sold in an auction. It sold for 5.6 million US dollars in an auction in 2019.
It's been an honour and a privilege to look after *that* Diego Maradona shirt for over 18 years.
Interested to see who snaps it up next. There's always room in our squad for another loan signing... 😉 https://t.co/94ANl1tQMT pic.twitter.com/qv1rtrKGNc— Nat. Football Museum (@FootballMuseum) April 6, 2022
