The disappearance of the trophy has given rise to rumors that it was lost during a crazy game of poker or sold to pay off debts.
The trophy won by Diego Maradona for his performances at the 1986 World Cup has resurfaced after decades of absence and is now up for auction.
Maradona won the Ballon d’Or after leading Argentina to victory at the tournament in Mexico, where he scored his infamous hand of God goal against England in the quarter-finals, Sky News reports.
Maradona, who died in 2020 at the age of 60, was awarded the Ballon d’Or trophy as the tournament’s best player during a ceremony in Paris in 1986.
However, the award mysteriously disappeared and its whereabouts were unknown for decades.
Now auction house Aguttes says the trophy will go under the hammer in Paris next month and is expected to “bring in millions due to its uniqueness”.
The disappearance of the trophy has given rise to rumors that it was lost during a crazy game of poker or sold to pay off debts.
Others claimed that Maradona kept the trophy in a safe in a Naples bank that was robbed by local gangsters in 1989 while he was playing for Napoli in Italy.
According to one of the stories of a reformed member of the mafia, the trophy was allegedly later melted down into gold coins. But Aguttes states that this is “a far-fetched theory, given that it was made of an alloy of gold and copper.”
The auction house said the trophy reappeared in 2016 among other lots purchased from a private collection at an auction in Paris.
“He was thoroughly investigated and recognized with the Adidas Ballon d’Or trophy by Diego Maradona,” they added.
Bidders will be asked to pay a deposit of €150,000 (£129,000) to take part in the June 6 auction.
Diego Maradona died on November 25, 2020 from an acute cardiorespiratory crisis. He was 60 years old. In Argentina, a three-day national mourning was announced due to the death of the legendary football player.
In Argentina, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of world football legend Diego Maradona has been completed. As a result of the investigation, eight suspects were identified. These are neurosurgeon Leonardo Luca, psychiatrist Agustina Kosachov, psychologist Carlos Diaz, medical coordinator Nancy Forlini, nurses Mariano Perroni and Ricardo Almiron, nurse Dahiana Madrid and family doctor Pedro Pablo Di Spagnole.
