At the 1986 World Cup, Diego Maradona led Argentina to victory and was named the best player at the tournament. To commemorate this outstanding performance, his Golden Ball trophy is set to be auctioned in France on June 6. This will be the first time a Golden Ball has been put up for sale, and while its exact value is yet to be confirmed, it’s expected to fetch millions.
Maradona scored five goals during the tournament, including one of the most memorable moments from that competition – two goals against England in the quarterfinals. The first goal, which he famously called the “Hand of God,” involved him outjumping England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and scoring with a raised fist. The second goal was a remarkable solo effort where he dribbled past five outfield English players from his own half before scoring. These goals were later voted as one of the greatest goals in soccer history.
Maradona continued his exceptional form throughout the tournament, scoring two more goals in the semifinal against Belgium before leading Argentina to victory over West Germany in a thrilling final match. The Golden Ball award was introduced at the 1982 World Cup and has been won by some of soccer’s greatest legends such as Italy’s Paolo Rossi, Brazil’s Romario and Ronaldo, and France’s Zinedine Zidane. Lionel Messi is another great player who has won this award twice. However, Maradona’s Golden Ball trophy was reportedly stolen at one point but resurfaced among different trophy lots in an auction room before being authenticated by Aguttes auction house as Maradona’s original Adidas Golden Ball trophy after an investigation into its provenance.
This auction presents an opportunity for collectors to own a piece of soccer history while supporting charity efforts through proceeds from sales going towards various causes such as children’s hospitals and cancer research.
In conclusion, Diego Maradona’s Golden Ball trophy is a testament to his outstanding performance at the 1986 World Cup and will undoubtedly draw significant attention from collectors around the world. With no prior sales of this unique piece of sports memorabilia, it will be fascinating to see what value it fetches on June 6th when it hits the block at auction in France.