Diego Maradona’s iconic ‘Hand of God’ goal against England during the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final remains one of the most discussed and debated goals in the history of football. 40 years later, it still remains one of the most controversial moments in the sport’s history, with immense political and cultural connotations.
In his 1986 FIFA World Cup campaign with Argentina, Diego Maradona was the legendary hero of their side, leading his country to their second title in history. In the quarter-final against England, Maradona scored twice. Both goals became etched in history, although for completely different reasons.
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The first goal, dubbed by Maradona himself as the “Hand of God” began when he received the ball just outside England’s penalty box. He passed it to teammate Jorge Valdano, but English defender Steve Hodge intercepted it and kicked it into the air. At this moment, goalkeeper Peter Shilton and Maradona jumped at the same time, and the latter knocked the ball into the goal with his left hand despite his height disadvantage. In other terms, the goal was a clear handball that gave Argentina a 1-0 lead in the second half.
Years later, many question why Diego Maradona’s blatant handball stood against England in a FIFA World Cup quarter-final. The Hand of God goal stood simply by luck, as both the referee, Ali Ben Nasser, and the linesman, Bogdan Dochev (in England’s half), missed the moment. Neither of them indicated a handball, despite protests from English players, including the iconic Gary Lineker.
In 1986, there was no opportunity to recheck the moment, and VAR did not exist. Therefore, the referee couldn’t verify the claims as he had not spotted the moment himself. In fact, close clips of the moment show Diego Maradona turning back to the referee to see if the goal was given, as noted by ESPN.
Why is Diego Maradona’s goal vs England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup called the “Hand of God”?
Diego Maradona himself dubbed his first goal against England as the “Hand of God”, right after leading Argentina to the semi-final of the 1986 FIFA World Cup. As quoted by USA Today, the Albiceleste legend told reporters:
“It was a bit with the head of Maradona, a bit with the hand of God.”
Beyond football, Maradona’s goal is often considered historic due to its political connotations, as the quarter-final clash took place four years after the Falklands War between England and Argentina. Maradona himself called it “revenge” years later in his autobiography, due to the loss of Argentine lives during the war.
Forty years later, La Albiceleste is set to face the Three Lions in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final tonight. It remains to be seen if Lionel Messi can lead his side to another World Cup final at the age of 39, or if the English get their much-awaited revenge.
Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar