Diego Maradona won the trophy for his World Cup performances in 1986 when he led Argentina to victory and scored his famous ‘hand of God’ goal against England. In the same match, he scored what FIFA later declared the greatest goal in World Cup history.
Maradona – who died in 2020 aged 60 – was awarded the Ballon d’Or trophy at a ceremony in Paris in 1986 for being the tournament’s best player. However, the award mysteriously disappeared and its whereabouts were unknown for decades.
Now, auction house Aguttes has announced that it will be auctioned in Paris next month, with the trophy expected to “reach millions of euros due to its uniqueness”.
How the trophy disappeared
The trophy’s disappearance has given rise to several rumors that it was lost during a poker game or that it was sold to pay off debts, Aguttes said. Others have claimed that Maradona kept the trophy in a safe in a bank in Naples, which was robbed by local gangsters in 1989 when he was playing for Napoli in Italy. According to a story told by a reformed mob member, the trophy was allegedly melted down into gold pieces.
But Aguttes said this was an “exaggerated theory, given that the trophy was made from an alloy of gold and copper”.
The auction house said the trophy reappeared in 2016 among other lots that were purchased from a private collection at an auction in Paris.
“It has been thoroughly investigated and authenticated as Diego Maradona’s Ballon d’Or Adidas trophy,” Aguttes said.
Bidders will be required to make a deposit of €150,000 (£129,000) to take part in the June 6 auction, according to Sky News.
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