A French court has ruled that the auction of the 1986 World Cup trophy awarded to the late Diego Maradona can go ahead as scheduled despite objections from his heirs, a lawyer for the heirs told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Maradona’s heirs have launched emergency legal proceedings to block the auction of the Golden Ball award he won as the best player at the 1986 World Cup. Lawyer Gil Moreu told The Associated Press that the court decision was “against the heirs of Diego Maradona” and that they would appeal.
The trophy will be auctioned in Paris next Thursday by auction house Agute, which did not immediately comment on the ruling.
The Golden Ball was missing for decades after it disappeared under unclear circumstances, only to be discovered recently. Maradona’s heirs claim it was stolen and that its current owner has no right to sell it. Aguerre said the trophy resurfaced at an auction in Paris in 2016, along with other items acquired from a private collection.
Moreau, the president of the Nanterre court outside Paris, said Benchaeb, the trophy’s current owner, “should be considered to be acting in good faith.”
Benchaieb and Agtes maintained that they did not know the trophy was stolen when he bought it years ago.
“The Ballon d’Or is a special property and Diego Maradona’s children want it back,” Moreu said. “My clients are very saddened by the court’s decision.”
Maradona received the award in 1986 at a ceremony at the Lido cabaret on the Champs-Élysées. The award then went missing, sparking rumors. Some say it was lost during a poker game or sold to pay off debts. Others say it was kept in the safe of a Naples bank that was robbed by local gangs in 1989, while Maradona was playing in the Italian league. Maradona’s heirs believe it was stolen from the bank.
French judicial authorities launched an investigation last week after receiving complaints about the resale of allegedly stolen goods. The Nanterre prosecutor’s office told The Associated Press that Thursday’s court ruling does not affect the ongoing investigation.
Maradona, People who died in 2020 At age 60, he captained Argentina to a 3-2 victory over West Germany in the 1986 final in Mexico City, and scored the “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century” in the quarter-final against England.
Aguettes said he expects the trophy “will fetch millions of dollars because of its uniqueness.”
To take part in the auction, bidders must pay a deposit of 150,000 euros ($161,000).
The “Hand of God” goal came when Maradona punched the ball into the England net four minutes later, weaving his way through the England midfield and defence and slotting it past goalkeeper Peter Shilton for what FIFA later declared the greatest goal in World Cup history.
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