The football used during Argentina's iconic 1986 World Cup quarter-final victory over England has been sold for $3.35 million (£2.6m), bringing an end to a remarkable auction for one of the sport's most famous pieces of memorabilia.The match ball from the Argentina-England clash was sold by Heritage Auctions on Saturday evening after bidding began at $2.5 million. Although pre-auction expectations had suggested it could command as much as $10 million, the final hammer price settled at $3.35 million.Diego's Maradona's 'Hand of God' football has been sold at auction for £2.5m.It was famously used in Argentina's quarter-final win over England, at the 1986 World Cup.Maradona famously said after the match that the goal was scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a… pic.twitter.com/o1jxR2bL0y— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) August 24, 2026 The ball holds a special place in football history, having been used by Diego Maradona when he scored the controversial "Hand of God" goal in the first half. Just four minutes later, the Argentine icon used the same ball to produce his unforgettable solo run and score what became known as the "Goal of the Century."According to The Athletic, auctioneers had hoped the item could approach the value of Maradona's shirt from that famous match, which sold for almost $9.3 million at Sotheby's in 2022. The $3.35 million price also failed to surpass the record for the most expensive sports ball ever sold, a mark held by Shohei Ohtani's 50th home run ball, which fetched $4.392 million in 2024.##EDITORS_CHOICE##The historic football had already been sold for $2.37 million by Graham Budd Auctions in 2022. A second attempt to sell it the following year ended without a deal after the highest bid, $2.04 million, failed to reach the reserve price.The ball was put back on the market this summer, with the auction taking advantage of the worldwide attention surrounding the 2026 World Cup. However, Argentina's disappointing tournament campaign and the timing of the sale may have contributed to the final figure falling well below the most optimistic pre-sale projections.##NAJAVA_MECA_9907055##