A “STOLEN” trophy won by footballing icon Diego Maradona at the infamous “Hand of God” World Cup is set to go under the hammer.
The Argentine star, who died in 2020, was awarded the Golden Ball trophy in 1986 for being the best player at the tournament in Mexico.
The award is expected to sell “for millions” after it resurfaced and will goes up for auction on June 6 with the French company Aguttes.
The auction house said it was difficult to give an estimate on just what it would sell for due to its uniqueness, adding that it was a world-first as there has never been any other comparable item.
Aguttes house sport expert Francois Thierry said there are lots of stories and legends swirling about the trophy but they had undertaken the necessary checks and even contacted the police.
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Mr Thierry said: “Used far too often wrongly, the word ‘legend’ fits Diego Maradona perfectly.
“He is to football what Mohamed Ali is to boxing or Michael Jordan to basketball, an iconic icon who goes far beyond the boundaries of his sport.
“He is certainly one of the most human athletes we have ever known, with his strengths and weaknesses.
“The golden kid ‘El Pibe de Oro’ also nicknamed ‘the God of football’, is a special case in the history of world football, a raw and instinctive talent, in a career punctuated by strokes of brilliance with both success and excess.
“The history of football with a capital H is closely linked to that of Maradona.”
Since the 1982 FIFA World Cup, the Golden Ball has rewarded the best player of the tournament, making it one of the most prestigious individual distinctions in the game.
Maradona received the Golden Ball trophy at Lido in Paris on November 13, 1986, as the best player of the World Cup.
When it does go up for sale it will be the first time a Golden Ball trophy has been presented at auction.
While the Golden Ball changes design at each World Cup, the 1986 trophy uses the designs of the official Adidas ‘Azteca’ ball used for the tournament in Mexico.
While many football fans will view the 1986 tournament as a standout, many England fans will remember it for Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal
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Mr Thierry said: “To say this World Cup had it all would be an understatement: phenomenal goals were scored, and countless world-class talents were on display.
“It is also, above all, at this tournament that Diego Maradona really showed the whole world what he could do with his feet, and even with his hands..."
On June 22 of that year England took on Argentina in the quarter finals, just four years after the Falklands War.
At this tournament Diego Maradona really showed the whole world what he could do with his feet, and even with his hands
Aguttes sport expert Francois Thierry
Maradona infamously outjumped England keeper Peter Shilton to punch his first goal into the net using his raised fist, which he later described as being scored by the "Hand of God".
Just four minutes later though he scored again in a goal which was voted as the "Goal of the Century" in a Fifa poll.
Picking the ball up in his own half he then beat five England players before scoring his second goal.
The trophy is made from a gold copper alloy and is 28 cm tall and weighs approximately 4 kilos.
The match ball Maradona punched during his notorious "Hand of God" goal sold for £2million in November 2022.
