Auctioned for £2 million: Maradona's 1986 "handball" makes referee rich
16.11.2022
Translation: machine translated
The "Hand of God" is one of the greatest legends of world football. The man who did not recognise Maradona's hand in the 1986 quarter-final against England now knows the value of his memento: the auction of the match ball will bring him 2 million British pounds.
Imagine making a mistake - and becoming rich as a result. That is, very abbreviated, the story of [Ali Ben Nasser](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali\_Ben\_Nasser] from Tunisia. The now 78-year-old refereed what was probably the most famous football match in World Cup history and has owned the match ball ever since. A jackpot that he cashed in 36 years later. The yellowed ball was auctioned at Graham Budd Auctions (of all places!) in England - for 2 million British pounds. All thanks to the back story, to which Ben Nasser himself played a crucial part.
A game for the ages
When Argentina and England faced each other in the 1986 quarter-finals, everything was extraordinary: the epic backdrop of 115,000 fans at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, the tensions between the two nations four years after the Falklands War, and the iconic moments of a little Argentine many still consider the greatest to this day . When Diego Armando Maradona poked the ball over England goalkeeper Peter Shilton with his hand in the 51st minute of the match, referee Ali Ben Nasser did not have a good view of the scene. "I saw Maradona's back and the goalkeeper," he is quoted as saying by the BBC. He said he had doubts and - as FIFA had instructed - looked to his linesman, who did not object.
In contrast, linesman Bogdan Dochev, who died in 2017, said throughout his life that FIFA did not allow assistants to discuss decisions with the referee. So be it.
The action was made legendary by Maradona, who not only made his famous statement ("It was a bit of Maradona's head and a bit of God's hand") but also scored the "goal of the century" in the same match. His jersey from back then was auctioned off this year for almost 8 million francs. And touched by his magic hand at just the right moment, this ball is also worth a fortune.
Everything correct except the decision
Ali Ben Nasser has nothing to reproach himself for. He rightfully owns the match ball because FIFA allowed referees to take a memento of the matches they officiated. Over the years, Maradona's legend grew, always oscillating between genius and madness until his untimely death in November 2020.
And his story was forever linked to the man who made the wrong decision at the time, giving the football world a great story in the process. In 2015, Maradona visited referee Ben Nasser in Tunisia and gave him a jersey with the dedication: "For Ali, my eternal friend". So he is left with something to touch now that the yellowed Adidas Azteca is gone and his bank account is full. Thanks to Maradona. They didn't call him "El Pibe de Oro" for nothing. The golden boy who always seemed to have a little angel and a little devil on his shoulders.
Titelbild: Screenshot Youtube/Graham Budd Auctions
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