The hand of God facts for kids
The moment Diego Maradona used his hand to score against goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
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| Native name | La mano de Dios |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 June 1986 (Argentina v England match) |
| Venue | Estadio Azteca |
| Location | Mexico City |
| Type | Association football goal |
| Participants | Diego Maradona Peter Shilton |
The "Hand of God" (in Spanish, La mano de Dios) is the name given to a famous and controversial goal scored by the Argentine football superstar Diego Maradona. It happened during the quarter-final match between Argentina and England in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
The goal was against the rules because Maradona used his hand to punch the ball into the net. However, the referees did not see the handball and allowed the goal to count. This gave Argentina a 1–0 lead. Argentina went on to win the match 2–1. Maradona scored a second, amazing goal known as the "Goal of the Century" just a few minutes later. Argentina would later win the entire World Cup.
When asked about the goal after the game, Maradona said it was scored "a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God." This clever phrase gave the goal its famous name.
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How the Famous Goal Happened
The game was tied 0-0 six minutes into the second half. Maradona got the ball and passed it to his teammate, Jorge Valdano. An English player, Steve Hodge, tried to clear the ball but accidentally kicked it high into the air toward his own goal.
Maradona ran to meet the ball as it came down inside the penalty box. The English goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, came out to punch the ball away. Shilton was much taller than Maradona, but Maradona jumped at the same time. As they both went for the ball, Maradona secretly hit it with his left fist, sending it into the goal.
Maradona immediately started celebrating. He glanced at the referee, Ali Ben Nasser from Tunisia, to see if the goal would be allowed. The English players protested, but the referee and his linesman did not see the handball and confirmed the goal.
A Goal with Deeper Meaning
For Maradona and many people in Argentina, this goal was more than just a goal. Four years earlier, in 1982, Argentina and the United Kingdom had a serious conflict called the Falklands War. The two countries fought over a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
In a documentary made in 2019, Maradona said that winning the game felt like "symbolic revenge" against the English. He explained that because of the past conflict, the match was very important to the Argentine people. He knew he used his hand, but he said it happened so fast that nobody saw it.
Maradona's Confession Years Later
For many years, Maradona did not fully admit to using his hand. But in 2005, almost 20 years after the famous game, he finally confessed on a TV show. He said what everyone already knew: it was not the hand of God, but the hand of Diego.
Ahora sí puedo contar lo que en aquel momento no podía, lo que en aquel momento definí como «La mano de Dios»... ¿Qué mano de Dios? ¡fue la mano del Diego!
Now I can say what I couldn't at that moment, what I defined at that time as The Hand of God. What hand of God? It was the hand of Diego!
—Diego Maradona, in his autobiography
Some people, including the English goalkeeper Peter Shilton, were upset that it took him so long to admit the truth. However, the event remains one of the most talked-about moments in football history.
The "Hand of God" Legacy in Football
The phrase "Hand of God" is now used to describe other controversial handball goals in football. Some other famous examples include:
- Lionel Messi: In 2007, another Argentine player, Lionel Messi, scored a goal with his hand for FC Barcelona that looked very similar to Maradona's.
- Thierry Henry: In 2009, French player Thierry Henry handled the ball to set up a goal that helped France qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup instead of Ireland. This was sometimes called "The New Hand of God."
- Luis Suárez: In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Uruguayan player Luis Suárez used his hands to block a sure goal from Ghana. He was sent off with a red card, but his team went on to win the match. He later said he used the "Hand of God."
The story of the goal has also appeared in movies. The 2021 film The Hand of God is named after the event and shows how much Maradona meant to the city of Naples, Italy, where he played.
What Happened to Maradona's Famous Shirt?
After the match, Maradona swapped his jersey with the English player Steve Hodge. Hodge owned the famous shirt for over 35 years. For 20 of those years, it was displayed at the National Football Museum in England.
In 2022, Hodge decided to sell the shirt at an auction. On May 4, 2022, it sold for £7.1 million (about $9.2 million). This set a new world record for the highest price ever paid for a piece of sports memorabilia.
See also
- Maradona, the Hand of God
