Diego Maradona’s Adidas Golden Ball trophy from the 1986 World Cup will be auctioned in Paris next month, according to Aguttes house. The trophy was presented to Maradona, the tournament’s best player, at a ceremony at the Lido cabaret on the Champs-Élysées in 1986. It then disappeared, leading to various rumors about its whereabouts. Some speculated that it was lost during a poker game, sold to pay off debts or stored in a safe in a Naples bank that was later robbed by local gangsters while Maradona was playing in the Italian league in 1989.
The trophy resurfaced in 2016 among other items acquired from a private collection at an auction in Paris and was authenticated as Diego Maradona’s Golden Ball trophy. Along with the controversial “Hand of God” goal, Maradona is remembered for his incredible dribbling skills and scoring FIFA’s declared greatest goal in World Cup history by weaving through England’s midfield and defense before beating the goalkeeper. Sports expert François Thierry from Aguttes praised Maradona’s performance in the tournament.
Potential bidders will need to make a deposit of 150,000 euros ($161,000) to participate in the auction on June 6.
