Diego Maradona’s heirs are fighting to stop the sale of his 1986 World Cup ‘Golden Ball’ trophy in France. The trophy, given to the tournament’s best player, was found by an antique dealer in Paris and is set to be auctioned on June 6. Maradona’s family argues that the trophy rightfully belongs to his five heirs and should not be sold for profit. They recently discovered the auction and took legal action to reclaim the trophy.
In recent years, memorabilia from Maradona’s career has fetched millions at auctions. In 2022, his Argentina jersey from the 1986 World Cup sold for nearly $9.3 million, while the infamous “Hand of God” ball from the quarter-final match against England sold for $2.4 million. Now, the family is determined to recover the ‘Golden Ball’ trophy, which was allegedly stolen during a bank robbery in Naples three years after it was awarded to Maradona in Paris. The family believes that the trophy holds great sentimental value to the Argentine people.
Lawyers for the auction house and the trophy seller argue that the Maradona family did not provide evidence of a complaint filed at the time of the alleged theft. The seller claims he acquired the trophy at an auction in 2016 in a lot of hundreds of trophies, most with little value. He initially bought the trophies for a mere 500 euros, not realizing that one of them could be Maradona’s prized ‘Golden Ball’. The authenticity of the trophy has been under scrutiny, with the seller reaching out to one of Maradona’s lawyers during the research process.
The court is set to make a decision on May 30 regarding the sale of the trophy. At the same time, a criminal complaint has been filed in connection with the dispute over the trophy’s ownership. It is important to note that the ‘Golden Ball’ trophy is not to be confused with the ‘Ballon d’Or’, which is awarded by France Football magazine to the best player of the year. The legal battle over Maradona’s treasured trophy continues, with the family and auction house standing firm in their positions regarding its rightful ownership.
