Diego Maradona

Few moments in sports can truly toggle the line between athletics and something bigger. For England and Argentina, after a bitter conflict in the Falkland Islands War just years earlier, that moment was encompassed during the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals, when the two squared off in a high stakes match drenched in historical importance.

On the 22nd of June 1986, a 25-year-old Diego Maradona, “The Golden Boy” who many consider the greatest to ever play the game of soccer, would make history in the match and cement his name permanently in the chronicle of the sport and on the world’s largest stage at that. Two of the most extraordinary goals (and perhaps one of the luckiest) in the sport of soccer were scored in the same match, and no less, by the same player.

The first, known around the world as “The Hand of God,” occurred when Maradona—in the second half of the quarterfinal—scored a cunning goal with his hand. It all happened quickly, and in the blink of an eye, Maradona had fooled the officials, masking his mischief with a convincing celebration. As the referees did not have a clear view of the play, the goal stood, giving Argentina a 1-0 lead in the contest. In his own words, Maradona would say he told his teammates, “I told them, 'Come hug me, or the referee isn’t going to allow it.’” After the game, Maradona was quoted saying he made the goal with, “a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God.” He would later explicitly state that he felt it was “symbolic revenge” for the United Kingdom’s victory in the Falklands Island War. The play is globally renowned as one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport of soccer.

The second goal known as the “Goal of the Century”—which many consider to be the greatest individual goal of all time—occurred when Maradona dribbled past a host of England players, dancing around them in angelic style, carrying the ball half the length of the pitch and scoring a tremendous second goal against English goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

In 2002, FIFA held a vote as part of a promotion for the 2002 World Cup. Over a six-week span, more than 340,000 votes were cast from over 150 countries, with Maradona’s second goal in the match receiving the title of “Goal of the Century.” The goal would cement Argentina’s 2-1 victory in the contest against the English. Argentina would go on to win the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

A key part of understanding the item is understanding the historical context of the rivalry between Argentina and England. The Falkland Islands War began on April 2 of 1982—approximately four years prior to the historic World Cup match—when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands which the Argentinian’s asserted as their own territory. As the islands had been under British leadership since the 1840s, the British of course disagreed. On April 5, the British government dispatched the navy to engage with the Argentinian armed forces. The conflict lasted over two months and would culminate with British victory. The war came at a grave cost; over 600 Argentinian military personal lost their lives as did over 250 British personnel. The history and rivalry between the two countries imbued this football match with deep historical, personal and patriotic context for both nations. In his autobiography, Maradona would state:

“It was like beating a country, not a football team. Although we said before the game that football had nothing to do with the Malvinas War, we knew that a lot of Argentine kids had died there, that they had mowed us down like little birds…This was our revenge, it was...recovering a part of the Malvinas. We all said beforehand that we shouldn’t mix the two things but that was a lie. A lie! We didn’t think of anything except that, like hell it was going to be just another game!"

• Diego Maradona-signed 1986 World Cup replica jersey.
• Replica of the jersey worn when Maradona completed both the "Hand of God" goal and the "Goal of the Century."
• Signed in permanent black marker.
• Signature authenticated by James Spence Authentication.
• This item is final sale and is not eligible for return.