By Belize Live News Staff: Forty years after Diego Maradona scored the infamous “Hand of God” goal against England, football fans around the world are still debating one of the sport’s most controversial moments.
The goal, scored on June 22, 1986 during a World Cup quarterfinal in Mexico, remains one of the most talked-about incidents in football history.
Maradona leapt into the air alongside England goalkeeper Peter Shilton and used his hand to knock the ball into the net. Match officials failed to spot the foul, and the goal stood.
After the match, Maradona famously described the goal as being scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.”
For English fans, it remains one of football’s greatest injustices.
For many Argentine supporters, however, it is remembered as part of a historic victory that helped propel Argentina toward World Cup glory.
What often gets overlooked is what happened just four minutes later.
Maradona picked up the ball near midfield and embarked on a dazzling run that saw him beat five English players before scoring what FIFA later dubbed the “Goal of the Century.”
The two goals, scored within minutes of each other, perfectly captured the complexity of Maradona’s career: controversial, brilliant, unpredictable, and unforgettable.
Here in Belize, where football remains one of the country’s most popular sports, many fans still rank Maradona among the greatest players to ever step onto a pitch.
Today, as Argentina faces Austria at 11:00 a.m. Belize time in the FIFA World Cup, many supporters will take a moment to remember the man who helped make the blue and white jersey one of the most recognized symbols in world football.
Four decades later, the debate over the “Hand of God” continues. But one thing remains undisputed: Diego Maradona left a mark on football that will never be erased.
