Maradona family bid to block 1986 World Cup 'Golden Ball' trophy sale in France

Nanterre, France: Diego Maradona s heirs have taken legal action in France to block the controversial sale of the Argentine football legend s Golden...

Nanterre, France: Diego Maradona's heirs have taken legal action in France to block the controversial sale of the Argentine football legend's 'Golden Ball' trophy from the 1986 Mexico World Cup.

The trophy given to the tournament's best player had been missing for decades before being found by an antique dealer in the French capital.

It is due to be sold by Aguttes auction house in Neuilly-sur-Seine, close to Paris on June 6.

Lawyers for the family of Maradona, who died in 2020 aged 60 years, argued that the latest piece of memorabilia from the player's glittering career which is expected to fetch millions, rightly belongs to his five heirs.

In 2022, Maradona's Argentina jersey from the 1986 tournament sold for close to $9.3 million, while the "Hand of God" ball from the quarter-final against England sold for $2.4 million later that year.