- Sotheby’s auctions Diego Maradona’s 1986 World Cup semi-final shirt
- The Argentine scored twice in the match to give Belgium a 2-0 victory
- He had exchanged the shirt for the gloves of the Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff
Sotheby’s is to auction Diego Maradona’s 1986 World Cup semi-final shirt, estimated to be worth between £620,000 ($800,000) and £926,000 ($1.2 million).
Maradona scored twice in the semi-finals to help Argentina beat Belgium 2-0 at the Estadio Azteca, before leading his team to victory in the tournament final against West Germany.
Following Argentina’s semi-final victory over Belgium, the former Barcelona and Napoli star is said to have swapped his shirt with the gloves of Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff.
Maradona, who died in 2020, also signed the shirt: ‘For the great Jean-Marie, with all my love.’
Pfaff has since displayed the shirt to the public at its pop-up museum, which opened in July 2023 and houses an array of football memorabilia from trophies to match shirts.
Diego Maradona’s shirt from the 1986 World Cup semi-final (pictured) is up for auction
The shirt is worth between £620,000 ($800,000) and £926,000 ($1.2 million) and will be sold by Sotheby’s.
Argentina defeated Belgium 2-0 in the match, with Maradona (left) scoring both goals
“I have cherished this shirt for almost forty years, ever since Diego and I swapped things after that unforgettable semi-final,” said Pffaf, speaking about his decision to auction the shirt.
“It was an honor to compete against one of the best footballers in the world, but calling him a friend was even more special. Sharing this piece of history with the public at the Museum of El Sympatico in Beveren over the past year was truly rewarding.”
Before that match, Argentina had already secured a place in the World Cup semi-finals after one of the most famous matches in the history of the game, with Maradona scoring the ‘Hand of God’ goal and the ‘Goal of the Century’ in their 2-1 quarter-final win over England.
Sotheby’s, the leading destination for fine art and luxury goods auctions, sold its ‘Hand of God’ shirt from that match in May 2022 for £7.2 million ($9.3 million), making it the most valuable football shirt in the world.
Brahm Watcher, head of streetwear and modern collectibles at Sotheby’s, said: ‘Maradona is rightly remembered as one of the greatest footballers of all time and Sotheby’s is honoured to be part of the history of these iconic World Cup shirts worn during matches.’
‘The second Maradona World Cup shirt to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s is further proof that we are the leading destination for sports memorabilia. The market has grown enormously in recent years.’
Maradona had swapped shirts with Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff and had signed the shirt with the words: ‘For the great Jean-Marie, with all my love.’
Pffaf (pictured) stated that he had cherished the shirt ‘for almost forty years’ and kept it in his temporary football memorabilia museum
Maradona is one of the greatest players to ever play the sport. His ‘Hand of God’ shirt recently sold for £7.2 million ($9.3 million)
The ‘Hand of God’ shirt (pictured) is considered the most expensive football shirt in history
Maradona is considered one of the best footballers to have ever played football. The former Argentina number 10 has exceptional ball control and the ability to dribble past opponents.
He was also a leader on the pitch and was also known for his charisma and outspokenness when it came to social and political causes. His charity, The Maradona Foundation, supports a range of charities and causes, from child welfare to diversity and inclusion.
The shirt is available in the Sotheby’s ALTITUDE | Capsule Collection sale – bidding starts today and closes on August 2nd.