CELEBRITY
Ball from Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ match expected to fetch at least $2.8m at auction
The football that was at the feet – and hand – of Diego Maradona as he shocked the world with acts of both brazen gamesmanship and breathtaking skill in Mexico 36 years ago has been put up for auction and is expected to sell for at least 2.5 million pounds ($2.8 million).
The ball in question is from the 1986 World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England, in which Maradona scored six minutes into the second half by sneakily punching the ball over England goalkeeper Peter Shilton into the net, a goal he said afterwards had been helped by the “Hand of God”
Just four minutes later he dribbled from his own half past a number of England players to score a sublime second that regularly tops polls as the greatest goal in World Cup history.
The ball is being sold by Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser, who officiated the match.
“This ball is part of international football history – it feels like the right time to be sharing it with the world,” Bin Nasser said. “I hope the buyer is in a position to put it on display or share it with the public in some other way.”
The auction will be conducted by auctioneers Graham Budd and will take place on Nov. 16, with bidders able to register and bid online from Oct. 28.
The shirt worn by Maradona in the same match was sold for 7.14 million pounds earlier this year.
Maradona, regarded as one of the world’s best ever footballers, died in November, 2020 aged 60.
-Reuters
Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first footballer to reach billionaire status, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which has valued the Portugal great’s net worth at an estimated $1.4 billion.
The 40-year-old striker’s financial ascent comes after he signed a new contract with Saudi side Al-Nassr in June reportedly worth more than $400 million.
Bloomberg said that Ronaldo earned more than $550 million in salary between 2002 and 2023, supplemented by a decade-long Nike deal worth nearly $18 million annually, and lucrative endorsements with Armani, Castrol and others that added more than $175 million to his fortune.
Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr from Manchester United in 2023 had already made him the highest-paid player in football history, with an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), plus bonuses and a reported 15% share in his Saudi Arabia club.
Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has earned more than $600 million in pre-tax salary during his career.
Ronaldo’s billionaire status places him among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer.
Ronaldo suggested he is not considering retirement any time soon.
“I still have a passion for this,” he said at the Portugal Football Globes gala on Tuesday. “My family says it’s time to quit and they ask me why I want to score 1000 goals if I’ve already scored 900-something. But I don’t think that way inside.
“I’m still producing good things, I’m helping my club and the national team. Why not continue? I am sure that when I finish I will leave full because I gave everything of myself. I know I don’t have many years left to play, but the few I have left, I have to enjoy them to the fullest.”
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Former England soccer captain David Beckham and actor Gary Oldman were knighted in King Charles’ annual birthday honours list on Saturday, while sculptor Antony Gormley was made a Companion of Honour.
Beckham, 50, joined Manchester United as a trainee in 1993, going on to make almost 400 appearances for the club where he won a string of titles and cups.
He subsequently played for Real Madrid, LA Galaxy, and Inter Milan, as well as captaining his country 58 times and making 115 appearances.
His marriage to fashion designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham in 1999 cemented a celebrity status which went far beyond his sporting exploits.
Oldman, 67, started his career on the stage, where he was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, before rising to prominence in film. He won the best actor Oscar for playing Winston Churchill in the 2017 drama “Darkest Hour”.
He also had roles in the “Dark Knight Trilogy” and the “Harry Potter” movie series and more recently starred in the TV spy drama “Slow Horses”.
Other famous names receiving honours included damehoods for musical theatre star Elaine Paige, novelist Pat Barker and ceramics maker Emma Bridgewater.
Roger Daltrey, lead singer of rock band the Who and a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, received a knighthood for services to charity.
More than 1,200 people received honours for their achievements, with a particular focus on those who had given their time to public service, the government said.
King Charles’ official birthday will be celebrated with the annual “Trooping the Colour” military parade in London on Saturday. His actual birthday is on November 14
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
One of three judges in Diego Maradona’s closely scrutinized homicide trial in Argentina resigned on Tuesday amid a scandal triggered by the alleged filming of an unauthorised documentary, bringing uncertainty to the future of legal proceedings.
The high-profile trial over the death of soccer star Maradona began on March 11 in the South American country where the World Cup winner is still revered.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
- U20 FOOTBALL7 days ago
Flying Eagles Bank on ‘Magic of October 8’ to overcome Argentina
- World Cup5 days ago
CAF Rule Change May Boost Nigeria’s World Cup Qualification Hopes
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Nigeria, Argentina Renew Rivalry as Flying Eagles Target Quarter-Final Spot in Chile
- World Cup4 days ago
Judgment Day Beckons in Group C: Only One Ticket, Three Contenders, Infinite Drama
- World Cup4 days ago
BREAKING! Lookman Suspended for Crucial Benin Clash
- U-20 FOOTBALL1 week ago
Nigeria Face Must-Win Battle Against Colombia in Chile
- World Cup3 days ago
Super Eagles Stranded in Angola After Aircraft Suffers Cracked Windscreen
- World Cup4 days ago
Akor Adams Becomes Nigeria’s 61st Scoring Debutant