Referee draws flak from ex-player over cashing in on Maradona ‘Hand of God’ World Cup ball
The referee who is auctioning the ball used to score Diego Maradona's infamous 'Hand of God' goal during the 1986 FIFA World Cup is facing heavy criticism.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Former World Cup referee Ali Bin Nasser has listed the ball used by legendary Argentinian footballer Diego Maradona to score his ‘Hand of God’ goal against England at the 1986 World Cup in an auction. While the ball is expected to fetch an estimated amount of £2.5m-£3m, the referee is facing heavy criticism for cashing in on the biggest mistake of his life. The ball will go under the hammer on November 16, four days before the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar kicks off.
On June 22, 1986, a 25-year-old Maradona punched the ball past England’s Peter Shilton to score the first goal for Argentina during the World Cup quarter-final clash at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Referee Bin Nasser failed to spot the handball as Maradona went on to score a superb solo second. While the referee said it was the right time to share the memorabilia with the world, he also clarified the incident.
‘I couldn’t see the incident clearly’: Referee Ali Bin Nasser clarifies
As per The Guardian, Bin Nasser said, “I couldn’t see the incident clearly. The two players, Shilton and Maradona, were facing me from behind. As per FIFA’s instructions issued before the tournament, I looked to my linesman for confirmation of the validity of the goal, he made his way back to the halfway line indicating he was satisfied that the goal should stand.”
World Cup referee slammed by English footballer for cashing in on his mistake
Meanwhile, upon coming to know about the development, former English footballer Gary Linkere slammed the 78-year-old referee for trying to sell the ball. Linker memorably scored the only goal for England during the 2-1 quarter-final loss to Argentina. As reported by The Sun, Lineker said, “How the hell did the referee end up with the ball? Am I over it? Yeah, of course I am. Not.”
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Earlier this year, the shirt worn by Maradona at the time of the infamous incident fetched an amount of 7.1 million pounds and shattered records of sports memorabilia going under the hammer. England’s Steve Hodge received the no. 10 shirt in a swap. Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day, Lineker said it was fair with Hodge to sell the shirt. Lineker added, "But the gall of the referee keeping the ball in his cupboard for all his time and now he’s going to cash in on the biggest referee’s mistake in the history of World Cup football. I mean, really?”