The late Diego Maradona is widely considered one of the best footballers of all time. The legendary Argentine nicknamed “El Pibe de Oro” (“The Golden Boy”) was selected alongside Pelé as FIFA’s Player of the 20th Century. The short, stout magician with lightning-fast feet starred for the Argentina National Team from 1977-1994, leading his home country to the World Cup title in 1986. In Argentina’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory over England, Maradona scored two of the most significant goals in soccer history just a few minutes apart – the notorious “Hand of God” followed by FIFA’s “Goal of the Century” in which he dribbled through the entire English defense.
Featured here is a Maradona match worn and autographed Argentina jersey from the 1994 FIFA World Cup Qualifying rounds. The CONMEBOL region featured nine South American national teams. La Albiceleste finished second in Group A behind Colombia, forcing them to play Australia in an inter-confederation two-legged (home & away) playoff to advance to the ’94 World Cup in the United States. From August 1st to November 17, 1993, Argentina played a total of eight matches, culminating with a 1-0 victory in Buenos Aires over the “Socceroos” to cement their WC berth. Maradona did not appear in the six group-stage matches during qualifying, but the 33-year-old did wear the captain’s armband for Argentina in both legs of the two-game playoff vs. Australia, playing the full 90 minutes in each match and helping his beloved national side qualify.
The long-sleeved white and sky-blue striped jersey has the “AFA” (Argentine Football Association) team crest embroidered on the left chest and Adidas logo on the right chest. Maradona’s iconic No. “10” is pressed on the reverse in large black suede numbers, underneath which is his large signature in black marker. The V-neck shirt with a ribbed collar and elastic sleeve ends exhibits heavy match use in the form of pilling, stretching, sweating and some soiling. An Adidas T3 hang tag is found inside the collar. Inside the left front shirttail is a faded wash instructions and materials flag tag showing the Argentina country logo and such Spanish words as “La Marca de las 3 Tiras” [Three Striped Brand] and “48% Algodón” [cotton]. The collar area shows the most wear with the ribbing at the rear neck starting to break apart. Other than that, this significant Maradona gamer from the tail end of his international career remains problem-free.
Unlike fellow countryman Leo Messi in the most recent World Cup in Qatar, Maradona’s last World Cup in 1994 was not a storybook ending. Sadly, the drug use that had plagued him since the aftermath of Argentina’s runner-up finish at the 1990 World Cup would rear its ugly head once again in the U.S. After just two appearances and 173 total minutes on the pitch at the ’94 World Cup, Maradona was removed from the national squad due to another positive drug test. Continued usage and weight issues would soon put an end to Diego’s playing career, but his fame and legacy has never seemed to waver in the eyes of true football fans – or collectors, as proven by that record $9.28 million result last year for his 1986 “Hand of God” jersey.
This shirt comes with a letter of provenance from longtime Brazilian National Team Coordinator, Alexandre Silva de Silveira, who is still actively working for CONMEBOL. It was sourced directly from his collection. Also included are full authentication letters from MEARS (jersey & use) and PSA/DNA for the autograph.