The Golden Ball trophy, awarded to Diego Maradona for being named the best player at the 1986 World Cup, is set to be auctioned in France on June 6. This will be the first time a Golden Ball is put up for auction, and while the exact value is yet to be confirmed, the auction house expects it to fetch millions.
Maradona, who passed away in 2020, earned the Golden Ball after leading Argentina to victory at the World Cup in Mexico. He scored five goals during the tournament, playing every minute as the captain of his country. One of the most memorable moments from the 1986 World Cup was Maradona’s two goals against England in the quarterfinals.
The first goal, which Maradona famously called the “Hand of God,” involved him outjumping England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and scoring with a raised fist. The second goal was a remarkable solo effort where he dribbled past five outfield English players from his own half. This goal was later voted as the “Goal of the Century.” Maradona continued his exceptional form, scoring two goals in the semifinal against Belgium before leading Argentina to victory in a thrilling final against West Germany.
Lionel Messi, another great player from Argentina, is one of many legendary players who have won this prestigious award over the years. The Golden Ball has been won by Italy’s Paolo Rossi, Brazil’s Romario and Ronaldo and France’s Zinedine Zidane among others. However, it will be interesting to see what price this iconic piece of sports memorabilia fetches when it goes under hammer on June 6th.
