The bid on the Sotherby's auction site rose to £7,142,500 (USD 9.3 million), which finally prevailed to keep the Argentine jersey that Diego Armando Maradona wore on June 22, 1986 in the World Cup match in Mexico. when the national team beat the English team with two goals from 10, the most famous goals in history.

This was officially reported by the famous British auction house, although for the moment the identity of the buyer has not been revealed. It is not clear from the circulating information whether the jacket is the one worn in the first or second half of the remembered meeting. The data It is important, because both the goal with “the hand of God” and then the best goal in the history of football (the best of the century, according to a FIFA survey), were scored in the second stage.

The shirt belonged to English midfielder Steve Hodge, one of those who suffered Diego and Argentina that stifling midday in Mexico City. Hodge managed the usual exchange of clothes with Maradona at the end of the match, which caused the displeasure of several of his teammates, for having fraternized with “a cheater.” On the other hand, 36 years later, it brought him not only millions of pounds, but also the nickname "The Man With Maradona's Shirt", as the book with his memoirs is titled.

The auction had begun on April 20. Marcelo Ordas, the largest Argentine t-shirt collector in the world, even offered £5.5 million. But, at the close of the deadline he acknowledged that “an offer from the Middle East took away our hope.” , to repatriate the jacket. Hodge had long ago given Diego's blue number 10 to the National Football Museum of England, located in Manchester. Before offering it at auction, he received countless offers to buy it, which he promptly rejected one by one. When announcing After his auction, the Maradona family questioned the authenticity of the shirt. Sotheby's confirmed the opposite, verified by Resolution Photomatching, a company specialized in photo matching.

Sources: El Destape https://www.eldestapeweb.com/deportes/diego-armando-maradona/vendieron-por-7-millones-de-libras-la-camiseta-que-uso-maradona-contra-inglaterra-en- 1986-20225413130 Chicago Tribune https://www.chicagotribune.com/espanol/deportes/sns-es-camiseta-maradona-mexico-1986-bate-record-subasta-20220504-ifg5766hmfg3lgnzby77sgex7u-story.html

Por Agenda Malvinas