The heirs of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona are set to file a lawsuit in an attempt to stop the auction of the "Golden Ball for Best Player" awarded to Maradona after Argentina's victory in the 1986 World Cup, according to their lawyer speaking to the Associated Press on Tuesday. The Golden Ball, awarded to the best player in the World Cup, had been missing for decades under unclear circumstances and has only recently resurfaced. Auction house Aguttes announced last week that it is scheduled to be sold at public auction in Paris next month.
It is noted that the Golden Ball for the World Cup differs from the Ballon d'Or awarded for the best player of the year by France Football; it is smaller and less valuable. Maradona, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 60, captained Argentina during the historic World Cup in 1986 in Mexico, where he exemplified "the greatest performance by a player in World Cup history," according to football experts.
Maradona's heirs claim that the award was stolen and allege that the current owner has no right to sell it. Gil Moro, the attorney representing Maradona's heirs, stated that he will file an urgent application to the president of the judicial court in Nanterre near Paris to withdraw the Golden Ball from auction. He also intends to request a judicial seizure of the trophy and file a complaint for theft.
Auction house Aguttes mentioned that the Golden Ball reappeared in 2016 among other items acquired from a private collection at an auction in Paris. Maradona received the award in 1986 at a ceremony held at the Lido nightclub on the Champs-Élysées. Afterward, it disappeared, sparking rumors.
Aguttes stated that some claim it was lost during a poker game or sold to pay off debts, while others say Maradona stored it in a safe at a bank in Naples, which was robbed by local gangsters in 1989 when he was playing in Serie A.
Moro, who represents Maradona's daughters, asserted that the heirs recently discovered the Golden Ball had been stolen. According to the lawyer, the Maradona family wants to prevent the sale because they believe the Golden Ball belongs to them. The auction house contends that the person who bought the award years ago was unaware it was stolen.
The law firm stated in a press release to the Associated Press: "If an owner of an item can claim ownership under French law, it is on the clear condition that their good faith is not in question. This cannot be the case for the owner of the trophy stolen from Diego Maradona, whose heirs can legally assert ownership."
