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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | June 2006 
The Hand of God and the Greatest Goal Ever, 20 Years On
 gulf-times.com
| | “I was waiting for them to celebrate with me,” he said afterwards. “I told them ‘come on hug me, or the referee will disallow the goal.” |
It is 20 years to the day Thursday since Maradona scored two of the most famous goals in World Cup history within five minutes of each other.
The enduring image from Mexico City’s Azteca stadium on June 22, 1986 will differ depending on where in the world you come from.
For the English it’s the sight of defender Terry Fenwick, pursuing Tunisian referee Ali Bin Nasser waving his hand in the air in attempt to make him realize that the goal had been scored with the hand. For Argentines it’s the sight of Maradona running half the length of the pitch past five England players on his way to scoring his second — the greatest World Cup goal ever.
And for the neutrals the image is of Maradona — all 5 feet 5 inches (166cm) of him, out-jumping 6 feet 1 inch (185cm) Peter Shilton with his left hand raised and clearly making contact with the ball.
As it looped over Shilton’s head Maradona wheeled away in delight, urging his team-mates to join him in the celebrations. “I was waiting for them to celebrate with me,” he said afterwards. “I told them ‘come on hug me, or the referee will disallow the goal.” “If you rob a thief, you get a 100 per cent pardon,” said Maradona when he finally admitted he had punched and not headed the ball past Shilton.
“It was pickpocketing the English.” The war between the two countries over the Falklands or Malvinas Islands had stoked up an already fierce rivalry that dates back to 1966 when Ratin was sent off for Argentina against England as Sir Alf Ramsay’s side played them on their way to winning the World Cup.
Maradona’s first reaction after the game was to accredit the goal to “the hand of God” a phrase now so ingrained in the language it seems to have existed pre-1986 and is still being used in this World Cup.
Stitched into every pair of football boots that young Argentina star Lionel Messi will wear during this tournament are the words “Mexico ‘86 The hand of God.” Since the goal the phrase has been used in everything from Scottish bar names to the US cartoon series, The Simpsons.
In Ayr in Scotland The Hand of God sports bar is staffed by employees wearing Argentina strips and there is a huge mural of the goal on one of the walls.
In Buenos Aires football fans can buy T-shirts depicting Homer Simpson in his Argentine football shirt rising up to punch the ball Maradonesque past Shilton.
“Peter Shilton’s Handball Maradona” is the name of an Argus Software computer game. Shilton’s biography had a picture of the goal on it’s back cover.
Bands New Order and The Business have both written songs that mention the hand-ball, Touched by the Hand of God and Handball respectively.
And the goal was even mentioned by world chess champion Gary Kasparov in a press conference after he was beaten by the computer Deep Blue which he claimed had been tampered with by human hands. Kasparov complained: “Maradona called it the hand of God.” But if Maradona’s first goal goes down as the most controversial ever, his second goes down just as the greatest.
On a FIFA website poll it won 18,062 votes and was the clear winner in the search for Greatest Ever World Cup Goal. Michael Owen’s goal against Argentina in 1998 came second with 10,631 votes.
Maradona went past Glenn Hoddle, Peter Reid, Kenny Sansom, Terry Butcher (twice) and Terry Fenwick before shooting past Shilton and Gary Lineker admitted afterwards: “It was probably the only time ever in my career that I felt like applauding an opposition goal.” Although the goal was all the more sweeter for Maradona because of the rivalry between the two countries. There was a moment of good grace from the Argentine captain afterwards.
He said he had only been able to score the goal because the English defence did not chop him down and described them as “probably the noblest in the world.” England came back in the second-half and Lineker headed in a cross from substitute John Barnes in the 81st minute. Barnes crossed again for Lineker moments later but the England striker couldn’t finish and it was Argentina progressed to the semi-finals. Maradona then scored two more extraordinary goals against Belgium to put Argentina through.
Although he had a quieter game against Germany in the final he did play a part in Jorge Burruchaga’s winning goal. And after the 2-1 victory fittingly lifted the World Cup in the stadium where he had scored that incredible double. |
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