Hiram Moreno
Diego Maradona was already an idol for many after his retirement from soccer, as he went down in history globally due to his time with Napoli and the Argentine national team. Following the lengend’s unfortunate passing, his status as a myth in soccer history has kept growing. And, recently, one of the most valuable pieces from Maradona’s glory days has been sold at auction for a price that touches the unreal.
The jersey in question is the one that Diego Maradona wore in his match against England on June 22 in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. In that year, the Argentinean engraved his name in the history of World Cups with the “Hand of God” and the “Goal of the Century”. The apparel was sold for $9.28 million at auction in London, and it set a world record price for a sports uniform.
The shirt was brought to England by Steve Hodge, a former England midfielder, who exchanged shirts with Maradona after the match. The player rejected offers for the jersey in the past,and, since 2002, it has been on display at the National Football Museum until April 6, when Sotheby’s — a British auction house with worldwide recognition — announced that the jersey would be available for purchase.
The jersey was valued at 5 to 7.5 million by the auction house, and the first bid came in hours before the auction opened on April 21 for 4.99 million. But, including commissions and taxes, reached the record figure: 9.28 million dollars.
Which Sports Jersey Was the Most Expensive before Diego Maradona’s?
Maradona’s jersey surpassed by far the previous most expensive sports jersey in the world: the one worn by the legendary baseball player Babe Ruth during 1928-1930 with the New York Yankees.
This former jersey was purchased in 2019 for a price of $5.64 million, so that of Argentina’s “10” surpassed it by an ample amount of money.
