La mano de Dios

"The hand of God" (Spanish: La mano de Dios) is the name given to the opening goal awarded to Argentine footballer Diego Maradona during Argentina's victory over England in a quarter-final match at the 1986 FIFA World Cup. The goal was allowed to stand because none of the match referees could see Maradona using his left hand to score. Four minutes after the goal gave Argentina a 1–0 lead in the quarter-final game, Maradona scored a second goal called the "Goal of the Century". Argentina won the match 2–1 en route to winning their second World Cup. The goal's name derives from Maradona's initial response when asked whether he scored it legally. He said it was "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God". Later, Maradona acknowledged he had illegally handled the ball, saying he considered the goal "symbolic revenge" for the United Kingdom's defeat of Argentina in the 1982 Falklands War. In August 2026 the match ball, once owned by referee Ali Ben Nasser, sold at auction for $3.3 million.