Who scored the Hand of God goal?
Quick answer
Argentina’s Diego Maradona scored the famous “Hand of God” goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final on June 22, 1986, at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. He punched the ball into the net with his hand, but the referee allowed it. Just four minutes later, he scored what was voted the “Goal of the Century.”
What happened
In the 51st minute, England midfielder Steve Hodge sliced a clearance high into his own penalty area. Maradona, who was 1.65 m tall, jumped against goalkeeper Peter Shilton, much taller at 1.85 m, and flicked the ball into the net with his left fist. Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser didn’t see the handball and awarded the goal. There was no video review at the time.
After the match, Maradona said the goal was scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.”
The Goal of the Century
In the 55th minute, Maradona collected the ball in his own half and dribbled past five England players and the goalkeeper in about 10 seconds before scoring. In 2002, it was voted the “Goal of the Century” in a FIFA online poll.
Why it mattered so much
The match took place only four years after the Falklands War (1982) between Argentina and Britain, giving it huge emotional weight. Argentina won 2–1, then beat Belgium in the semi-final and West Germany 3–2 in the final, winning their second World Cup.
Diego Maradona
| Born | October 30, 1960, Lanús, Argentina |
| Clubs | Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, others |
| World Cups | 4 as a player; won in 1986 |
| Died | November 25, 2020, aged 60 |
At Napoli, Maradona led the club to its first two Italian league titles. The club’s stadium was renamed Stadio Diego Armando Maradona after his death.
Rule changes
Today, the video assistant referee (VAR), introduced at the World Cup in 2018, would almost certainly catch a goal like the Hand of God.
The shirt
The shirt Maradona wore in the match was sold at auction in 2022 for about $9.3 million, at the time a record for sports memorabilia.
For Argentina’s next great generation, see who won the 2022 World Cup.
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