THE "HAND OF GOD" FOOTBALL "Un poco con la cabeza de Maradona, y un poco con la mano de Dios" – Diego Maradona, 22nd June 1986 [a little with the hea

THE "HAND OF GOD" FOOTBALL "Un poco con la cabeza de Maradona, y un poco con la mano de Dios" – Diego Maradona, 22nd June 1986 [a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God] The match ball used for the Argentina v England FIFA World Cup Quarter-Final played at the Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, 22nd June 1986, offered with a signed letter of provenance from the Tunisian FIFA match referee Ali Bin Nasser; and an independently verified authenticity report from the company Resolution Photomatching the white Adidas Azteca ball is formed of 32 pentagonal panels with a sinuous black & white design inspired by the architecture and murals of the Aztec Civilisation that flourished in central Mexico through the 14th to the 16th centuries. The curvature of the Aztec motifs also acts to frame a series of white discs reserved for the printing of the Adidas branding and confirmation the Azteca is the official ball of the 1986 World Cup. The FIFA 1986 World Cup, Mexico, saw the introduction of the first polyurethane coated, rain-resistant, entirely non-leather synthetic match ball, designed for enhanced qualities on hard, rough and wet surfaces. The Azteca was hand-sewn and consisted of an outer polyurethane wearing coat and three lower layers, which mutually complemented one another with varying structures Adidas termed “Adicron.” These were intended to ensure the ball’s resistance, ability to retain its shape and be waterproof. Adidas were rising to the challenge of producing a high-performance football at World Cup venues staged at high-altitude on sun-baked pitches where turf management is extremely challenging, but at a date in the calendar that coincided with the beginnings of Mexico’s rainy season. The Adidas Azteca represented a massive leap forward for the game. An additional consideration is that in an era before the multi-ball system, the one match ball was used for the full 90 minutes - which was the case with the ball being offered here which was used for the entirety of the Argentina v England quarter-final, and which is reflected by the various scuffs and marks the ball endured during the game. After 36 years the ball is also partially deflated. Buyers should seek professional conservation advice before attempting to re-inflate the ball. The match ball from the Argentina v England 1986 World Cup Quarter-Final is of  truly extraordinary importance. It was the ball used in a match that produced the most controversial goal in football history, the Argentinean goalscorer Maradona citing divine intervention through the "Hand of God"; then 3 minutes 49 seconds later Maradona's "Goal of the 20th Century" as voted for in a FIFA poll; and additionally a goal that secured England striker Gary Lineker the "Golden Boot" as top goalscorer at Mexico '86. The 2nd half of the match will be remembered eternally for two moments that perfectly define the flawed genius of the Argentine footballer Diego Maradona. In the 51st minute Maradona passed the ball to Valdano and then then staying onside raced into the penalty area for the Valdoano's return centre which was deflected by England's Steve Hodge high across the face of the goal. England goalkeeper and captain came off his line to punch the ball to safety, but was only to feel fresh air as the diminutive Maradona seemingly outjumped the airborne goalkeeper and the ball nestled in the England net. Nowadays the goal would have been disallowed with referee's benefiting from the assistance of VAR technology, as TV playback confirmed clearly that Maradona had illegally used his left hand to push the ball into the goal. Referee Ali Bin Nasser is on record as saying that from the angle he was positioned with many players in his sight line, he did not see the incident. He did however look towards his red flag linesman, Bogdan Dochev, but the Bulgarian was making his way back to the halfway line for the game to restart. Ali Bin Nasser had no choice but to allow the goal to stand. Under four minutes later Maradona displayed the unrivalled genius of his ability as a footballer. He scored a virtuoso goal that in 1999 was voted Goal of the 20th Century in a FIFA poll. Eleven touches and eleven seconds of greatness weaved over 68 metres of pitch. British match reporter Mike Payne described the goal: "To say he ran rings round England would be too simple a description of a goal that stands comparison with the very best scored anywhere at any time. Running with the ball at his feet from inside his own half, Maradona drew England players to him like a spider luring his prey. Peter Reid, Peter Beardsley, Kenny Sansom, Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick all came into his web and were left in a tangle behind him as he accelerated past their attempted tackles. It was then Maradona versus Shilton again, this time on the ground. He sold the goalkeeper an outrageous dummy that left Shilton scrambling for a shot that was never made, and then nonchalantly prodded the ball into the empty net for a goal of breath-taking beauty. It was a moment of magnificence that sweetened the sour taste left by Maradona's first goal. Well, almost!" In the 81st minute England were given hope when the excellent John Barnes, on as a substitute, did superbly well to allow himself to cross from the left and for Gary Lineker to head home from close range. Alas, it was not to be the start of a glorious revival. Argentina won the match and would progress to the final where they would beat West Germany to be crowned World Champions. Lineker's goal, however, his sixth of the tournament secured the Englishman the prestigious Golden Boot trophy. Earlier in the year in May England footballer Steve Hodge, who had swapped shirts with Maradona, sold the Argentinian's Hand of God Shirt at auction for US$9.3million, setting a new World Record for an item of sports memorabilia. However, 2022 has been an extraordinary year for sports memorabilia with the Maradona shirt price now twice exceeded. Michael Jordan's "The Last Dance" basketball jersey fetched US$10.1million; whilst an ultra-rare Mickey Mantle baseball card set a new market high of US$12.6million. The current World Record auction price for a sports ball is the US$3.0million paid for Mark McGwire's 70th home run baseball, a record that has stood since January 1999. IMPORTANT VAT NOTICE TO BUYERS: This lot (LOT 295) is to be sold whilst subject to Temporary Importation to the UK. The hammer price will be subject to Import VAT at the reduced rate of 5%. The Buyer’s Premium is subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20%. These taxes are charged to the Buyer but are not applicable if the Buyer exports the lot outside of the UK. Bidders are responsible for all import duties, customs charges, and VAT payable in the destination country. Customs declarations will be based on the final hammer price of winning bids without exception.