NEW RECORD: Maradona's "Hand of God" Shirt Sells for £7.1 Million
Update - May 4th: The auction has finished and the shirt worn by Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England is now officially the most expensive football shirt of all time. The winning bid came in at a whopping £7,142,500 (US$8.924.589).
Update - April 22nd: The auction of Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" shirt started on Thursday the 20th of April, and someone has already met the reserve of £4 million. It was the first, and so far only bid on the shirt, but there is still plenty of time for others to get in on the act and drive the price up before the lot closes at 5:01pm on the 5th of May.
As the reserve has been met, the shirt will definitely be sold, so we are now sure that there is a new most expensive shirt in history, easily surpassing the previous record of £157,750 paid for Pele's 1970 World Cup final jersey. It will be interesting to see if any more bids come in and just how much the shirt will go for.
Original:Diego Maradona’s match-worn shirt from Argentina’s game against England in the 1986 World Cup is to be sold at auction at Sotheby's. Sotheby's expect the winning bid to be in excess of £4 million, which would make it by far the most expensive shirt ever.
£157,750: Pele's 1970 World Cup final shirt is the most expensive shirt to date
As things stand the No. 10 shirt worn by Brazil legend Pele during the 1970 World Cup final, which was bought at Christie's, London on March 27, 2002, for £157,750 ($225,109), is the most expensive shirt ever sold, a record Pele will probably not be too happy about losing to his old rival Maradona.
Maradona’s “Hand of God” Shirt to be sold at auction
The blue Argentina away kit worn in that quarter-final is of course best known for the feats accomplished by Diego Maradona as he scored probably the two most iconic goals in World Cup history. The first was an astonishing run from inside his own half where he skipped past four England defenders before rounding the goalkeeper and slotting the ball home. The second was the infamous “Hand of God” where he punched the ball into the England net with his fist tucked in close to his head.
The shirt will go to auction at 6 pm on the 20th of April
After the game, England’s Steve Hodge tried to swap shirts with Maradona, only to seemingly miss his chance. Fortunately for him - and whoever buys the shirt at auction - he got a second bite at the cherry after giving a tv interview:
Hodge loaned the shirt to the National Football Museum in 2002 and it has remained on display there since. Hodge had this to say:
“The Hand of God shirt has deep cultural meaning to the football world, the people of Argentina, and the people of England, and I’m certain that the new owner will have immense pride in owning the world’s most iconic football shirt.”
Very rare and never sold: Origins of the shirt
Being associated with such huge moments is enough to make the shirt a part of football folklore, and of course, the rarity of the blue away kit adds even more to its status. The shirt was never available to buy for quite an unusual reason, and the only ones in existence were prepared for that particular match.
Argentina went to the World Cup in Mexico with a set of blue cotton away shirts, which they wore against Uruguay. The combination of the heavy material and the scorching Mexican sun meant that the players were very hot during the game. To avoid his players overheating against England, Argentina manager Carlos Bilardo sent coach Ruben Moschella to find an alternative shirt three days before the match.
Moschella browsed the sports shops in Mexico City and came back with two options, both blue Le Coq Sportif shirts, which were deemed to be of similar weight. They were having trouble deciding which one to go for until Maradona himself arrived and said:
“That’s a nice shirt, we’ll beat England in that.”
El Diego had of course chosen the now-famous shiny-striped shirt with the deep, white v neck and cuffs, and a large Le Coq Sportif logo on the right of the chest. AFA badges were then stitched onto the shirts, but they had to use the only ones available, which were an older design and therefore different from the ones they had worn until then in the tournament.
The shirt numbers applied were intended for American football shirts and were silver with a sparkly texture.
Argentina took to the field of the Estadio Azteca and did as Maradona had said they would do, beating England in that shirt. A real piece of football history with so many layers to it, it’s probably fair to say that Maradona’s number 10 shirt from that game is deserving of the title of most expensive shirt ever sold.
The shirt will go to auction at 6 pm on the 20th of April on sothebys.com.
What do you think of this backstory? Do you think the shirt is worth £4 million? Comment below.
Special Virgil van Dijk x Patta Jersey Revealed
Amsterdam streetwear label Patta has teamed up with Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk and Nike to unveil a vibrant, one-off football jersey for the Virgil's Legacy Trophy. The international under-13 tournament, founded by the Liverpool defender in collaboration with his formative club Willem II, brings together 16 elite youth academies from across Europe to compete in Tilburg.
The shirt draws deep inspiration from Van Dijk's Surinamese heritage, taking stylistic cues from traditional pangi cloth, a brightly patterned woven textile central to Maroon and Surinamese culture. The design ingeniously weaves together the primary colors of every participating club, including Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, PSG, Ajax, and AC Milan, translating their identities into an eye-catching, blurred check motif across the entire shirt.
The reverse lists the complete roster of competing clubs under "The class of '26," complemented by a custom Patta x Nike co-branded jock tag on the lower hem.
The bespoke jersey has been created exclusively for the young players taking part in the tournament as a commemorative keepsake rather than receiving a general retail release.
First 2 Adidas 2027 Boot Packs Leaked
Video game modder BxR Mods has recreated the first two Adidas 2027 football boot collections, providing a clear preview of what the Three Stripes have prepared for early 2027.
The 2027 Base Pack marks an important transition for Adidas, centered around predominantly black uppers accompanied by heritage-inspired accent colors across all three core silos. Most notably, the collection features the next-generation Predator 27 with its classic fold-over tongue, the returning AdiPure line set to succeed the Copa franchise, and the updated F50 Hyperfast. Alongside the traditional black-based editions, the preview also showcases the first main pack of the year, the collection to be worn by Adidas' best players.
Both of these Adidas packs launch in January 2027.
Nike Inter Milan 26-27 Third Kit Leaked - New Image
A new image of the Nike Inter Milan 26-27 third kit has surfaced, confirming the retro-inspired look that pays tribute to the club's iconic 1997-98 third shirt worn during the Ronaldo era.
Adidas Liverpool 26-27 European Training Shirt + Collection Released
Liverpool and Adidas have officially unveiled their all-new European training collection for the 26-27 season. Promoted under the tagline "Made for Europe", the range will be worn by the squad during training sessions and media obligations ahead of Champions League fixtures.
The Adidas Liverpool 26-27 European training collection is built around a crisp white base complemented by vibrant red accents. The iconic Adidas Three Stripes run down the sleeves in red, while the chest displays a monochrome red Liverpool crest enclosed in a shield, alongside matching red Adidas and AXA sponsor branding. Streamlined paneling and high-performance cuts from the latest Adidas Tiro template complete the refined aesthetic.
The range includes authentic short-sleeve training tops, long-sleeve drill tops featuring integrated snood neck collars, and insulated sleeveless puffer vests. The complete Adidas Liverpool 26-27 European training collection is available now through the club's official online store and retail outlets.
Hong Kong 2026 Home Kit Released
Nike and the Football Association of Hong Kong, China have quietly revealed the new Hong Kong 2026 home shirt.
The Nike Hong Kong 2026 home jersey combines two shades of red in a subtle half-and-half design, with a centrally aligned chest layout. The circular HKFA crest is positioned right in the center of the chest, accompanied by a white Nike Swoosh directly beneath it.
First Time in 12 Years: Juventus Bring Back Long-Sleeved Kits on Pitch
Making his Juventus debut in the match against AC Milan, Nick Woltemade was the only Juventus player on the pitch wearing long sleeves. Excluding special-edition kits, the German strike became the first Bianconeri player made this choice since Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio back in the 13-14 season.
Remarkably, even Cristiano Ronaldo, a long-sleeve icon, never wore one during his time in Turin.