Article of the Week - The Hand of God Goal

"The Hand of God"
Diego Maradona's infamous goal against
England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup

Argentina v England, played on 22 June 1986, was a football match between Argentina and England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 FIFA World Cup at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The game was held four years after the Falklands War between Argentina and the United Kingdom and was a key part in developing the intense football rivalry between the two nations. It was also a match which included two of the most famous goals in football history, both scored by Diego Maradona.

His first, after fifty-one minutes, was the Hand of God goal, in which Maradona scored with an illegal, but unpenalised, handball. His second, after fifty-four minutes, saw him dribble past six England players, Beardsley, Reid, Butcher, Fenwick, Butcher (again), and finally goalkeeper Peter Shilton. In 2002 this was voted Goal of the Century by FIFA.com voters. Argentina won the game 2–1 and went on to win the 1986 World Cup with a victory over West Germany in the final. Maradona won the golden ball for player of the tournament whilst England's goalscorer on the day, Gary Lineker, won the golden shoe for being the tournament's top scorer.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Argentina v England (1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final)"