MARADONA’S HAND OF GOD JERSEY SELLS FOR R150 MILLION
The tradition of swapping jerseys with your opponent after a football match has been a longstanding tradition in sports. Some players are often lucky enough to get the shirt of a world-famous player while others are lucky enough to make R150 million out of the friendly interaction.
That’s exactly what happened to Steve Hodge, a retired English football player. Hodge, who was a midfielder, played against Maradona in the 1986 world cup quarterfinals.
What makes this jersey extra special is that it was the jersey worn by Maradona when he scored the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal. Using his left hand, Maradona scored a goal against England leading to Argentina’s 1-0 win.
The goal was awarded because the referee didn’t have a clear view of the play.
The jersey was on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester for the last 20 years but was recently sold at an auction on Wednesday.
In a news release from Sotheby’s, Hodge is quoted as saying that “the Hand of God shirt has deep cultural meaning to the football world, the people of Argentina, and the people of England, and I’m certain that the new owner will have immense pride in owning the world’s most iconic football shirt”.
The new owner hasn’t been identified by Sotheby’s.
Image credit: MIGMG Publisher