In June 6th, the Adidas Golden Ball trophy, awarded to Diego Maradona for being named the best player at the 1986 World Cup, will be auctioned off in France. This is the first time that a Golden Ball has been put up for sale, and while its true value is yet to be determined, Aguttes auction house anticipates that it will fetch millions of dollars.
Diego Maradona led Argentina to victory in Mexico, scoring five goals in total. One of his most iconic performances was against England in the quarterfinals, where he scored two goals using his hand and a brilliant solo run from his own half. These goals are still remembered today as some of the greatest moments in World Cup history.
The Golden Ball award was introduced during the 1982 World Cup and has been won by notable players such as Italy’s Paolo Rossi, Brazil’s Romario and Ronaldo, and France’s Zinedine Zidane. Lionel Messi of Argentina remains the only player to have won the award twice.
Reports from French newspaper L’Equipe suggest that Maradona’s original Golden Ball trophy had been stolen but has since resurfaced among several trophy lots in an auction room. The trophy was verified by Aguttes after an investigation into its authenticity before being put up for sale on June 6th.