October 17, 2022
The brief from today:
‘Hand of God’ ball to go on sale
The ball from the famous ‘Hand of God’ goal, scored by Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal between England and Argentina, is going to be sold next month. The interesting thing about this transaction is the fact that the match referee from that day is the one who owns the ball. It’s not quite clear what the typical protocol is for match officials and the game balls once a match concludes, but Tunisian referee, Ali Bin Nasser, not only missed the call that day, he also kept the ball. After 36 years of owning it, he has now decided it is “the right time to be sharing it with the world”. Despite the infamy of that goal, it was only one of two which Maradona scored that day, with the second being a classic for all the right reasons. The Argentinian legend’s mazy run from the halfway line all the way into England’s penalty area, ending with the ball in the back of the net, eventually got voted ‘goal of the century’. With such a narrative around that particular match, it’s no surprise that the ball is expected to fetch between £2.5-£3 million at an auction on November 16. This highly lucrative sale would follow in the footsteps of the massive £7.4 million that Maradona’s jersey from the same match generated in May. Bidding for the match ball commences online from October 28, and by the time the auction takes place there’s no telling how high the final figure will be.
The ‘Hand of God’ ball in question (above) that could fetch a potential £3 million at auction.
World Cup ticket sales still rising
World Cup Chief Operating Officer, Colin Smith, held a press conference in Doha today, and among the matters discussed was the number of tickets sold for the tournament thus far. Smith announced that currently, almost three million fans have purchased tickets to matches for the tournament in Qatar. The majority of tickets bought have been traced to Saudi Arabia, the US, and host nation: Qatar. Putting US purchases aside, it seems apparent that there were will be substantial local support at the tournament, combined with next door nation Saudi Arabia’s proximity making it convenient for their citizens to make the short journey. FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, joined in on the press conference, albeit via a recorded message, and disclosed that around 240,000 hospitality packages have also been sold by FIFA for the competition. While approximately 1.2 million fans are expected in Doha throughout the month long event, many will be staying in neighboring countries, with the UAE being a popular hub. Fans will have the option of driving to Qatar, and leaving their car at the border before being transported by shuttle bus into Doha. Alternatively, supporters can catch one of the many shuttle flights from neighboring countries that will be in operation during the tournament exclusively for match goers. The reason for this “commute” is that there simply isn’t enough space at the various accommodation options in Qatar, with hotels being fully booked by FIFA dignitaries, or the various teams and their staff. The organizing committee is fully confident of their ability to successfully manage the logistical demands, but only time will tell if that will indeed be the case.
The World Cup is drawing closer, and local/nearby demand is clearly at a high