A jersey worn by soccer legend Diego Maradona sold for a record $9.3 million Wednesday, Forbes reported.
The sellers of the jersey claimed Maradona wore it during the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal match made famous for Maradona's "Hand Of God" goal.
The Diego Maradona @Argentina shirt which he wore in the 1986 @FIFAWorldCup quarter-final against England has sold for £7,142,500 at the end of a two-week online auction at @Sothebys, it officially becomes the most expensive match-worn sports jersey in history. pic.twitter.com/MTGVFlgmhZ
— Asif Burhan (@AsifBurhan) May 4, 2022
The selling price is the highest paid for sports memorabilia at auction, Forbes said. It was sold by former England midfielder Steve Hodge, who traded jerseys with Maradona after the match.
Meet Steve Hodge, a former England international. The proud owner of the "Hand Of God" shirt, legend Diego Maradona wore in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England. pic.twitter.com/PqL2Svc9fX
— SirChuks (@occp1967) May 4, 2022
While the jersey sold for a remarkable price, Maradona's family has claimed it is not the jersey the Argentinian great wore when he scored the infamous goal. Maradona's daughter, Dalma, said in a radio interview in early April that her father wore two different jerseys during the game against England and that the one up for auction was worn during the first half of play — not the second half when her father scored the iconic goal. A contingent from the Argentine Football Association traveled to London in an effort to stop the sale of the jersey, which had been up for auction for several weeks.
The final price for Maradona's jersey surpassed the record for a game-worn jersey, which was the $5.64 million paid on Babe Ruth's 1928-1930 New York Yankees jersey back in 2019, ESPN said. It also broke the record for the highest price spent on a piece of memorabilia, which was $8.8 million spent in 2019 for the original hand-drawn Olympic manifesto.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!