The Argentina that won the 1986 World Cup is one of the most iconic teams in football history. A national side that, under the guidance of Carlos Bilardo and inspired by the absolute genius of Diego Armando Maradona, secured its second world title in Mexico, gifting the world two of the most memorable moments ever seen on a football pitch: the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century, both scored on the same afternoon of 22 June 1986 against England.

La Selección’s road to glory

Bilardo’s Argentina arrived at the Mexican World Cup with a solid but not exceptional squad on paper, with one undisputed exception: Maradona, then twenty-five years old and at the peak of his powers, fresh from his first seasons at Napoli. The roster was built around players from the great Argentine clubs — Independiente, River Plate and Argentinos Juniors — who had dominated the Copa Libertadores in those years. In the group stage, La Selección beat South Korea 3-1, drew 1-1 with reigning champions Italy and defeated Bulgaria 2-0. In the round of 16 they eliminated Uruguay 1-0 thanks to a goal by Pedro Pasculli. But it was from the quarter-finals onwards that Maradona turned the tournament into his personal masterpiece.

The “homemade” blue shirt bought in a Mexico City shop

Few people know that the blue shirt in which Maradona scored the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century was not an official Le Coq Sportif kit, but an improvised replica purchased in a hurry from a Mexico City shop three days before the match. The French sponsor had developed a breathable fabric only for the home sky-blue and white striped shirt, leaving the away kit in heavy cotton: worn in the round of 16 against Uruguay under 30-degree Mexican heat, by the end of the match it weighed five kilos more from sweat. When FIFA ruled that Argentina had to play in blue against England, Bilardo refused to wear that shirt again and sent kit manager Rubén Moschella to find a replacement in the capital’s shops. They spotted on a mannequin a lightweight blue Le Coq Sportif shirt with a V-neck, and bought all 38 available. Maradona, looking at it, uttered the prophetic line: «¡Que linda esta camiseta! Con esta le ganamos a Inglaterra» — “What a beautiful shirt! With this we’ll beat England”. The AFA crest was hand-drawn and stitched on by Club América seamstresses, while the silver numbers were actually meant for American football jerseys. That handcrafted replica became the most iconic football shirt of the 20th century: one of those worn by Maradona against England was sold at Sotheby’s in 2022 for over 9 million dollars, the highest price ever paid for a sports shirt.

Argentina-England, 22 June 1986, the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century

At Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, in front of more than 114,000 spectators, one of the most tension-filled matches in football history took place. On the pitch there weren’t just eleven against eleven, but two peoples: the Falklands/Malvinas War between the United Kingdom and Argentina had ended just four years earlier, and the wound was still open. With the score at 0-0, English defender Steve Hodge mishit a back-pass, sending the ball looping high inside his own area. Goalkeeper Peter Shilton (1.85 m) came out punching to anticipate Maradona (1.66 m). El Pibe de Oro, although much shorter, jumped with his left arm raised close to his head and deflected the ball with his fist into the net. Tunisian referee Ali Bennaceur, fooled by the speed of the gesture, allowed the goal to stand amid furious English protests. At the post-match press conference, Maradona uttered the line destined to become legendary: the goal had been scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God”. Only in 2005, on the show La Noche del 10, did he openly admit to scoring with his hand, calling the gesture “symbolic revenge” for the Falklands War. Four minutes later, Maradona produced what FIFA would officially vote in 2002 as the greatest goal in World Cup history. Receiving the ball from Héctor Enrique inside his own half, Maradona covered 60 metres in 10 seconds, dribbling past in sequence Peter Beardsley, Peter Reid, Terry Butcher, Terry Fenwick and finally, again, Shilton, before slotting the ball into the net for 2-0. The commentary by Uruguayan journalist Víctor Hugo Morales — with his famous cry «Barrilete cósmico, ¿de qué planeta viniste?» — is considered one of the greatest pieces of sports broadcasting ever. Lineker pulled one back for England with 9 minutes to go, but Argentina won 2-1 and flew into the semi-finals.

Semi-final and Final

In the semi-final against Belgium, Maradona scored another stunning brace, taking La Selección into the final with a clean 2-0. The number 10 finished the tournament with 5 goals and 5 assists in 7 matches, dominating as few have ever done. The final on 29 June 1986, again at the Azteca, pitted Argentina against Beckenbauer’s West Germany. The Germans assigned Lothar Matthäus to mark Maradona, but La Albiceleste still went ahead in the 23rd minute with a header from José Luis Brown and doubled the lead in the second half through Jorge Valdano. West Germany hit back with goals from Rummenigge and Völler, but in the 84th minute Maradona delivered a sublime assist for Jorge Burruchaga, who set the final score at 3-2. Argentina were world champions for the second time in their history, after their home triumph in 1978.

The heroes of the ’86 World Cup

Captain and player of the tournament Diego Armando Maradona, scorer of the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century. Alongside him in attack Jorge Valdano, decisive goal in the final, and Jorge Burruchaga, scorer of the winning goal against West Germany. In defence José Luis Brown, scorer in the final with a header, and in midfield the backbone formed by Sergio Batista, Héctor Enrique and Ricardo Giusti. In goal Nery Pumpido. On the bench Carlos Bilardo, the head coach and architect of the triumph with his iconic 3-5-2.

The legacy of Mexico ’86

The triumph of Mexico ’86 remains, to this day, one of the highest moments in world football. Maradona was crowned the greatest player of his time — and, according to many, of all time. Argentina would have to wait 36 years to win the World Cup again, finally doing so in 2022 in Qatar with Lionel Messi, the designated heir to El Pibe de Oro. But ’86 stands apart: the only tournament in history won, essentially, by a single man. The Hand of God and the Goal of the Century, scored four minutes apart, are still today two of the most powerful images football has ever produced.

The official Argentina retro collection

All shirts are official licensed replicas, customisable with the number and name of your favourite player. The numbering is faithful to the original of the period. Discover the full official Argentina retro collection on vintagefootballclub.com