2026 FIFA World Cup Countdown: Maradona's Historic "Hand of God"

Football Parks 100 Day Countdown of Iconic FIFA World Cup Moments

The term “Hand of God” is still a widely used one even 40 years after its famous inception at the 1986 World Cup – kids use it as an excuse during break time, and various reenactments have taken place in leagues across the world, with Lionel Messi’s 2007 remastering the most convincing impersonation.

However, as is the saying in Hollywood, nothing can touch the original. The action, the celebrations, the acting – Diego Maradona gave the perfect performance.

The opening goal of the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and England was culturally significant for many reasons, outside of simply breaking the laws of football. In Argentina, it was seen as divine retribution after England had defeated the South Americans in the devastating Falklands War four years previously.

Maradona's "Hand of God" goal: A sneaky handball that fooled everyone, sparking controversy and cementing his legend in the 1986 World Cup.

pic.twitter.com/npIc5iQ3uD

— The Extreme Football Enthusiast (@ExtremeFootbal4) July 18, 2024

Meanwhile, in England, the goal and subsequent defeat were utterly condemned and were lumped onto FIFA as a tremendous lapse in judgement and integrity. It goes without saying that the blatant act of cheating simply strengthened Argentinian hatred in the country.

So what’s the story behind the goal, and why has it become one of the World Cup’s most iconic moments?

Argentine Revenge

Prior to the two nations meeting on the 22nd of June, 1986, their last head-to-head had come not on the football pitch but in the cold waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, as the two went to bitter war over the British-owned Falkland Islands.

Though the conflict lasted for just 74 days, it drew headlines around the world, and the unravelling situations were often left up to interpretation by the media in both Argentina and England.

Argentina in particular was swindled by the military-controlled news outlets – in the 2019 documentary Diego Maradona, the former Barcelona and Napoli man said, 'We, as Argentinians, didn’t know what the military was up to. They told us we were winning the war. But in reality, England was winning 20-0. It was tough.”

Maradona remained unrepentant - calling the goal 'symbolic revenge against the English' for the Falklands War.
Speaking four years after the war - which ended with British victory - Maradona said: 'The hype made it seem liked we were going to play out another war. pic.twitter.com/7jPoaIy7Vz

— Prof Imonokha Enakhena (@IEnakhena) November 25, 2020

Eventually, after an attempted coup of the islands and a disastrously short defence of them, Argentina surrendered, with the islands once again falling back under British reign. However, the disdain the two nations now had for one another could barely be kept beneath the surface.

So when Maradona burst through the England backline in pursuit of a miscued Steve Hodges clearance and stuck out his arm while going for a header, punching the ball into the back of the net, it would have felt like a small dose of vengeance against the old enemy who had not only occupied the Falkland Islands, but also invaded the future capital city of Buenos Aires twice in the 1800s.

With so much negative history with the English, it would have been almost impossible for Maradona to feel bad about handling the ball, something which he later admitted in 2019: “I knew it was my hand. It wasn’t my plan, but the action happened so fast that the linesman didn’t see me put my hand in. It was a nice feeling, like some sort of symbolic revenge against the English.”

Why the “Hand of God” Became Iconic

Well, initially, it seems obvious. Maradona’s blatantly illegal goal is famous for being just that – illegal. The fact that it wasn’t spotted by either linesman or referee at the time was seen as an utter disgrace on English soil, while Argentina were in dreamland without even needing to pay the officials.

🌎🏆 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP COUNTDOWN

Day 1/100: Diego Maradona's "Hand of God"

A goal that sparked outrage, sent Argentina on their way to a World Cup trophy, and created a legend, Maradona's "Hand of God" is arguably football's most controversial goal.

It was an act of blatant… pic.twitter.com/A184EUn9Y2

— Football Park (@FP_CentreCircle) March 4, 2026

However, there are more layers than you may think, layers which just add some extra gloss to one of football’s most significant moments.

One of these is thanks to the fact that just four minutes after netting one of the games' most controversial goals of all time, Maradona followed it up with one of the best solo goals of all time, leaving half the England team stumbling in his wake as he doubled Argentina’s lead with what was coined as the “Goal of the Century”.

It truly was “the Maradona Game”, and this was only further highlighted by his equally famous post-match response to whether he scored the goal legally, responding that it was scored with "a little with the head of Maradona, and a little with the hand of God.”

Whether said consciously or subconsciously, Maradona’s inclusion of God in his reasoning drew hordes of attention – it was clearly an indication that it was God’s will to inflict pain on the English that summer day, an indication that it was divine retaliation for the events of four years prior.

Last but not least, Maradona’s mind-boggling brace played a huge part in Argentina’s route to eventually winning the tournament. Had the "Hand of God” been spotted by officials, Gary Lineker's 81st-minute equaliser would have taken the game to penalties, inviting in countless could-have-beens and should-have-beens.

Diego Maradona’s Hand of God goal in the 1986 quarter-final between Argentina and England. pic.twitter.com/ebrdaKp7n9

— The Extreme Football Enthusiast (@ExtremeFootbal4) January 16, 2026

Had the game gone to penalties, let’s be honest, Argentina would probably have won, taking advantage of the Brits' awful record from the spot. However, had the game gone to extra time, the entire course of football history could have been so, so different.

Worshipped in Argentina, spited in England, Maradona’s goal of divine intervention has split opinion for decades, depending on which nation's side you fall on. But it cements its reputation as one of the World Cup’s most iconic moments thanks to the cultural shockwave it caused, the eventual success it led to, and the vengeful satisfaction it brought to an entire nation. Though not the sole reason Maradona became a legend, it shaped the way the world looked at him, then and now. Iconic by every metric.