Maradona's Historic Shirt Sold for 400,000 Euros

The historic shirt worn by Argentine legend Diego Maradona during the 1986 World Cup semi-final was sold for 400,000 euros in an auction of items belonging to former Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff. The shirt was part of a special collection that Pfaff gathered throughout his football career and was put up for sale through a French auction house.

The shirt dates back to the famous match between Belgium and Argentina in the 1986 Mexico World Cup, which ended with Argentina winning by two goals scored by Maradona. After the match, Pfaff exchanged shirts with the Argentine star, keeping the shirt for decades before finally putting it up for auction.

The preliminary estimates of its value ranged between 350,000 and 400,000 euros, before it was actually sold at the upper end of the expectations.

Among the notable items, the shirt that Pfaff exchanged with the Dutch legend Johan Cruyff during the Belgian goalkeeper's first international match in 1976 was sold for 130,000 euros.

Cruyff had written a dedication on the jersey that read: "To the best and kindest player," which increased its historical and sentimental value.

The auction also saw the sale of other items at high prices, including the shirt of former German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher for 35,000 euros, the official ball of the 1982 World Cup final for 33,000 euros, rare reports from the first World Cup in Uruguay, and two shirts of French star Zinedine Zidane sold for 19,000 and 13,000 euros.