The Hand of God is also referred to by the legendary Maradona as “The Sweet Revenge” that occurred during the 1986 World Cup.
A historical controversy that left an incredibly deep mark not only on the national team but also on the entire Argentine people.
Diego Armando Maradona – the author of “The Hand of God”
Diego Armando Maradona was born on October 30, 1960. He grew up in Villa Fiorito, a slum in the southern suburbs of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Maradona is hailed as one of the greatest dribblers in football history. Former Dutch star Johan Cruyff noted the similarities between Maradona and Lionel Messi, stating that the ball seemed to be attached to their bodies as they moved with it.
Not only famous for his exceptional ball control skills, Maradona also had the mind of a strategist within an intelligent player, with an incredible spatial awareness and the ability to handle situations very cleverly.
During his time with the Argentina national team, Maradona scored 34 goals in 91 appearances. At the 1986 World Cup, as captain, Maradona led the Argentina national team to victory in the World Cup 1986 in Mexico.
In 2000, Maradona won the FIFA Player of the Century award, which was decided by votes on their official website, their official magazine, and a large jury.
On November 25, 2020, Maradona passed away from a heart attack at his home in Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina, shortly after his 61st birthday.
The event of the Hand of God Maradona 1986
The 1986 World Cup was the tournament where the legend Diego Maradona single-handedly carried the team and brought Argentina to the championship.
After Colombia withdrew from hosting the 1982 World Cup, Mexico officially became the first country to host the biggest football festival in the world twice. This time in Mexico, there was a star shining brightly, that was Diego Maradona.
The quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup witnessed an unforgettable legendary moment in football history.
On June 22, 1986, the sun rose high, creating many dark patches on the Argentine side of the field. In the 50th minute, with the score still 0 – 0, unexpectedly Diego rushed up like a bullet to contest the ball with the English goalkeeper – Peter Shilton. Due to his height limitations, Maradona decided to use “The Hand of God” to punch the ball into the net in front of the astonishment of over 100,000 spectators and even the Argentine players.
Many fans were certain that he had cheated by intentionally using his hand to score the opening goal. As soon as the goal was recognized by the referee, the English team players surrounded the referee and reacted very fiercely.
There have been many photos capturing the moment Maradona jumped to catch the ball, but there is no clear image to prove that he actually used his hand to touch the ball. It wasn’t until everything calmed down that the video clip of Maradona scoring with his hand emerged, but it was too late.
At that moment on the field, only the legend Maradona himself, the English goalkeeper, and defender Terry Fenwick knew exactly what had happened. The two main referees, Ali Bin Nasser and Bogdan Dochev, both had very favorable angles to observe that goal. But neither of them could explain what they had witnessed.
Clip of Maradona’s Hand of God:
The Significance of Maradona’s Hand of God
“It was revenge” – Maradona wrote in his autobiography. The word “revenge” here is not simply for the pain that the Argentine people suffered in the 1966 World Cup but also for the soldiers, the Argentine soldiers who fell in the Falklands War. It is a historical dispute between the two countries.
According to recorded documents, the Argentine military occupied the Falkland Islands on April 2, 1982. Two days later, gunfire erupted as British forces invaded those islands. After 74 long days of fighting, the Argentine military surrendered, and Britain regained control.
Since then, a grudge has been created in the hearts of the Argentine people. The goal that shook the English net was a powerful act of revenge that made Maradona revered by the public as a saint with magical hands. This is completely different from tazza – the hand of God because Maradona is a real person while Yoong Hoo is just a product of cinema.
Only later, when interviewed about the controversial goal, he arrogantly replied: “That goal was scored with my head and a little bit of the hand of God.” Also in 2005, he admitted on television that he had intentionally used his hand to score.
The press recorded his words, and the term “the hand of God” has since been widely used in newspapers to this day.
In a heartfelt confession on television in 2015, Maradona expressed his gratitude to the football world for giving him freedom and allowing him to “reach for the sky.” Could it be that “The Hand of God” embodies that freedom and wildness that the “Golden Boy” has always pursued throughout his career?
Until Maradona closed his eyes for the last time, many British newspapers still held a grudge against the phrase “Maradona’s Hand of God” and this became a theme for many television shows.
Conclusion
Besides the event of the Hand of God that created the unexpected victory of Maradona 1986, he lived an incredibly special life. He was a controversial figure, loved and hated. He turned his life into a challenging performance.
On the day he left this world, fans still treated him with great respect to honor and bid farewell to this legend. Perhaps, in the future, it will be very difficult for any football player to have such a significant impact.
