Why Maradona's controversial ‘Hand of God' goal will never be forgotten in football history
In a quarter-final World Cup match between Argentina and England in the Estadio Azteca, on June 22, 1986, in Mexico City,
scored a goal that would later become one of the most controversial moments in sports history.
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The "Hand of God", as it was later called, and the "Goal of the Century", as felicitated by FIFA, not only put Argentina on the path to a 2-1 win, but they also left an indelible mark on football folklore.
The controversy that sparked global debate
With the game 0-0 till the 51st minute, England's Steve Hodge cleared the ball, and it went up and over his own penalty area. Maradona outleapt the 6-foot-1-inch English goalkeeper Peter Shilton and seemed to guide the ball into the net with his left hand, standing just 5 feet 5 inches.
The Argentines maintained the advantage thanks to the referee's lack of line-of-sight to the incident and the absence of a video review system (nonexistent at the time), despite protests by England players.
Maradona later described the goal as
"a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God,"
a phrase that would forever be associated with the incident from fans around the globe.
A symbol of national pride and political undertones
Off the field of play, the "Hand of God" goal had greater relevance for the Argentine people, being witnessed only four years after the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom.
Maradona himself acknowledged the political importance of scoring that goal, writing in his autobiography,
"The goal was as if we had beaten a country, not just a football team. This was our revenge".
To most Argentinians, it was a piece of poetic justice, and a source of national pride, and it took Maradona into the realms of a cultural icon.
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The contest remained an exhibition of brilliance from Maradona, who added a second four minutes later with five English players once again playing off with the ball by voted the "Goal of the Century" by FIFA in 2002. Argentina would then go on to win the tournament, and Maradona's exploits in the tournament cemented his reputation as one of the best footballers of all time.
And it still stands as one of the iconic moments in football's history, a moment that represents the perfect blend of fair play, national pride, and human frailty that makes the game the addictive spectacle it is.
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