CELEBRITY
Diego Maradona’s famous ‘Hand of God’ shirt sells for over £7m at auction
The shirt worn by Argentina legend Diego Maradona as he downed England with two of most famous goals in football history has sold at auction for over £7million.
Maradona donned the bright blue strip as he scored the notorious ‘Hand of God’ goal early in the second half of the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against the Three Lions.
The playmaker rose and prodded the ball beyond Peter Shilton with his fist – unbeknown to the referee – to put his country ahead, later saying the goal was made “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”.
Minutes later, a 25-year-old Maradona scored what many believe to be the greatest goal of all time, starting his run from in his own half and weaving between helpless England players before slotting home. The breathtaking effort was subsequently dubbed the ‘Goal of the Century’.
After the match, Maradona swapped shirts with Three Lions midfielder Steve Hodge, who continued to own it while loaning it to Manchester’s National Football Museum for two decades. The 59-year-old decided to sell up earlier this year and Sotheby’s arranged the auction with bidding open from 20 April until 4 May. The winning offer was worth an eye-watering £7,142,500, making the shirt the most expensive match-worn sports jersey in history.
“I have been the proud owner of this item for over 35 years, since Diego and I swapped shirts in the tunnel after the famed match,” Hodge said upon putting the strip up for sale. “It was an absolute privilege to have played against one of the greatest and most magnificent football players of all time. It has also been a pleasure to share it with the public over the last 20 years at the National Football Museum, where it has been on display.
“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.”
There was some confusion about whether the shirt on the market was the one Maradona scored his famous goals against England in, as he wore separate shirts in each half at the Estadio Azteca. However, Sotheby’s worked with Resolution Photomatching to prove the shirt Hodge sold was indeed the item the former Barcelona and Napoli star donned in the second half.
After defeating England in the quarter-finals, Maradona spearheaded Argentina’s charge to World Cup glory in 1986 and many fans continue to regard him as the best player ever to grace the pitch. The global icon died aged 60 in November 2020 following a cardiac arrest.
-Mirror
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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