$9.3mn Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ shirt on display at Qatar World Cup exhibition
3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum has opened the “World of Football” exhibition, which examines the history of football as well as the FIFA World Cup, with fewer than 50 days until the opening match.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulla al-Thani, president of the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, stated during the opening ceremony on Saturday that the exhibition aims to offer a one-of-a-kind experience to all visitors of all ages and cultural backgrounds and highlight the vital role that inclusivity plays in sports.
The exhibition, which will be on display until April 1, features loaned artefacts, films, and photographs from a variety of local and international institutions to represent the game’s global reach and diversity.
Prominent pieces from major international partner museums, including a ball used in the first World Cup in 1930, the first ever written football rules guide, and a bronze model of the right foot of famous Brazilian player Pele, are on display.
The display includes a shirt worn by Argentine footballer Diego Maradona when he scored his famous “Hand of God” goal, among other items. The museum has borrowed the blue jersey, which sold at auction in May for a then-record $9.3 million.
In the quarterfinal of the 1986 World Cup against England in Mexico, Maradona wore Argentina’s No. 10 jersey. He scored what became known as the “Hand of God” goal six minutes into the second half, which gave his team the lead.
Four minutes later, He scored a goal that is regarded as one of the best in World Cup history.
Maradona, on of the greatest football players in history, passed away in November 2020 at the age of 60.
The new exhibition is part of the Qatar Creates initiative, a national cultural movement that sponsors, promotes, and celebrates the diversity of cultural activities in Qatar throughout the year, with the goal of connecting audiences in the Gulf state and around the world with the its creative industries.