The shirt that Argentine football legend Diego Maradona wore when he crucified England at the 1986 World Cup has gone for almost 9 million euros, breaking all records for a sports collector's item, announced the auction house.

The previous record for collectible sportswear was held by a jersey worn by American baseball legend Babe Ruth in the late 1920s, which sold in 2019 for the equivalent of 5.3 million euros.

The price even exceeds the manuscript of the 1892 Olympic manifesto which sold for 8.3 million euros in December 2019, setting an absolute record.

The sale had been taking place online since April 20.

Until Wednesday, only one offer had been registered, at around $5 million.

But the sale was animated in the very last minutes, with several offers responding, until reaching the sum of 9.28 million dollars, including costs.

The identity of the buyer(s) was not immediately disclosed by Sotheby's.

Memorable quarter-final

In 1986, Maradona swapped his shirt at the end of the match with England midfielder Steve Hodge, who owned it for over 35 years and lent it to the Manchester Museum.

The two players recounted the episode in one of their respective books.

The player's daughter had previously cast doubt on the sale by claiming the shirt had been worn by her father only in the first half - in which no goals were scored.

Information denied by Sotheby's.

Maradona celebrating his second goal against England, in 1986 in Mexico City.

© AP file photo

This quarter-final in Mexico went down in history and helped write the contrasting legend of Maradona.

In the 51st minute, just after a ball diverted in his area by Steve Hodge, the Argentine captain had scored with his hand - "the hand of God", the player had said - but the goal had been validated by the referee.

Only four minutes later, "El Pibe de Oro" had scored an anthology goal, voted "goal of the century" in a FIFA vote, starting from his camp and eliminating four English players then goalkeeper Peter Shilton to score.

Argentina had won the World Cup.

With AFP and Reuters

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