The infamous 'Hand of God' goal Maradona scored against England in the 1986 World Cup that went on to win the goal of the century | FIFA
Diego Maradona predicted he would score what would later become known as the “Goal of the Century” before Argentina’s iconic 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-final victory over England, according to his former masseur, Salvatore Carmando.
Carmando made the revelation in an interview published by FIFA on Tuesday as Argentina and England prepared to renew one of international football’s fiercest rivalries in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with a place in the final at stake.
Recalling the moments before the match at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on June 22, 1986, Carmando said Maradona had already spoken about producing something special.
He relayed, “After he scored his second, Diego came up to me, hugged me and said, ‘I told you I’d do it and I did.’ Before the match, he’d said to me, ‘I have to score an amazing goal today. I don’t know how exactly, but somehow I have to do it.’ And that’s just what he did.
