The 1986 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal between Argentina and England, played on June 22 at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, is remembered as one of the most iconic matches in football history. The two nations had fought the Falklands War just four years earlier, a conflict that left more than 600 Argentine soldiers dead.
Argentina entered the match with Diego Maradona at the peak of his career. At 25, he was captain, the most influential player in the squad, and widely considered the best in the world. England had advanced after a 3-0 win over Paraguay, and Argentina narrowly defeated Uruguay 1-0 in the Round of 16, setting the stage for a high-stakes encounter.
- The 1986 Argentina vs. England quarterfinal became iconic as Diego Maradona scored the infamous “Hand of God” goal with his left hand and, just four minutes later, produced the “Goal of the Century” with a 60-meter solo run past five defenders.
- The match carried deep political and emotional weight, taking place only four years after the Falklands War, with Maradona later describing the victory as “symbolic revenge” for Argentina’s loss in the conflict.
- Maradona dominated the entire 1986 World Cup, scoring five goals, providing five assists, directly contributing to 10 of Argentina’s 14 goals, and leading his country to their second and last World Cup triumph.
The Hand of God Goal
With the score 0-0 early in the second half, Maradona began a move through England’s defense before his pass to Jorge Valdano was intercepted. The ball deflected off defender Steve Hodge and looped high toward the penalty area. Goalkeeper Peter Shilton, towering at nearly 20 centimeters taller than Maradona, came forward to punch it clear.
Maradona, however, leapt alongside him and used his left fist to push the ball into the net. Shilton and England’s defenders immediately protested to Tunisian referee Ali Bennaceur. Terry Fenwick even chased the referee in fury, but the goal stood.
After the match, Maradona explained the strike in words that named it forever, “A little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the Hand of God.” He also admitted he told his teammates to celebrate quickly so the referee would not reconsider.
In later years, Maradona described it as “picking the pocket of an Englishman” and as “symbolic revenge” for the 1982 conflict. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he explained, “We blamed the English players for everything that had happened… We were defending our flag, our children.”
The Goal of the Century
Only four minutes after the controversial opener, Maradona scored again. He collected the ball in his own half, dribbled past Peter Reid and Peter Beardsley, sprinted up the right wing, cut past Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick, and bore down on Shilton. With a feint and a dart to the right, he slipped past the goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the net with his left foot.
The run covered 60 meters, with 11 touches in 10 seconds, beating five English players. The strike became known as the “Goal of the Century.” Argentine commentator Víctor Hugo Morales, overcome with emotion, called Maradona the “Cosmic Kite.”
Even England’s Gary Lineker admitted afterward, “I felt like applauding. I’d never felt like that before… It was impossible to score such a beautiful goal.”
England responded with a goal in the 81st minute, also from Lineker, but Argentina held on for a 2-1 win and a place in the semifinals.
Argentina’s Road to the World Cup Title
Argentina advanced to face Belgium in the semifinal. Maradona once again dominated, scoring twice in the second half to secure a 2-0 victory. In the final against West Germany, Argentina went 2-0 up through José Luis Brown and Jorge Valdano, but goals from Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Rudi Völler leveled the score at 2-2 by the 81st minute.
In the 84th minute, Maradona played a perfectly weighted pass to Jorge Burruchaga, who ran through and scored the decisive goal in a 3-2 win. Argentina lifted their second World Cup, their last to date.
Maradona finished the tournament with five goals and five assists, directly contributing to ten of Argentina’s 14 goals. He was named the tournament’s best player.
Life Inside Argentina’s 1986 Squad
The Argentine team faced challenging conditions during the World Cup. They were housed at Club América’s quarters near the Azteca Stadium, which had unfinished rooms, just one telephone, and a single television for the entire squad. Each player received a daily allowance of only $25.
According to striker Jorge Valdano, these difficulties unified the team, “That need to share everything helped the group, which became more and more homogenous. It’s the biggest transformation miracle I’ve experienced in my sporting career.”
Superstitions also played a key role. After beating South Korea in their opening match, the players repeated every detail of their pre-game routine before each match. This included eating hamburgers, holding barbecues with meat brought in by Aerolíneas Argentinas pilots, sitting in the same bus seats, and observing rituals such as midfielder Ricardo Giusti placing a sweet at the center of the pitch and coach Carlos Bilardo calling his wife at exactly 17:00. Maradona created a figure out of boots, a shirt, and socks in the locker room, which no one was allowed to step over.
Political and Emotional Undertones
The Falklands War loomed large over the quarterfinal against England. Maradona later admitted, “We all declared before the game that football had nothing to do with the Malvinas War… Rubbish!”
Defender José Luis Brown recalled: “It was like I put a knife between my teeth. I wanted to see if I could get revenge by winning a match.”
For Maradona, the match felt like beating a country, not a football team.“Although we said beforehand that football had nothing to do with the Malvinas War, we knew that a lot of Argentine kids had died there… This was our revenge.”
Legacy and Auction Records
England goalkeeper Peter Shilton never forgave Maradona, not for the handball itself but for failing to apologize. Maradona remained defiant, saying, “He didn’t invite me [to his testimonial], true — oh, my heart bleeds! How many people go to a goalkeeper’s testimonial anyway? A goalkeeper’s?!”
Artifacts from the game became some of the most valuable in sports history. In May 2022, Maradona’s shirt from the quarterfinal, which was swapped with Steve Hodge after the game, was sold at Sotheby’s for US$9.2 million, setting a record for sports memorabilia. The match ball, originally owned by referee Ali Bennaceur, received an offer of £2 million (approximately US$2.3 million) but failed to sell at auction.
After 1986: The Rise and Fall of Maradona
After lifting the trophy in 1986, Maradona’s career carried both triumph and turmoil. He captained Argentina to the 1990 World Cup final in Italy, where they lost 1-0 to West Germany. By then, his cocaine addiction had taken hold. In 1991, he was banned for 15 months after testing positive for the drug.
At the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Maradona played two games but was sent home after failing a drug test for ephedrine. His international career ended in disgrace.
Yet the summer of 1986 remained untouchable. When he stepped onto the balcony of the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, the same balcony from which Eva Perón once addressed her “descamisados,” holding the World Cup trophy aloft, Maradona had achieved his dream.
He later admitted that he never again felt as happy as he did in that one moment, when his goals, both controversial and brilliant, gave Argentina pride, unity, and glory.
