Bidding reached $1.7 million (£1.4 million/€1.6 million) by the time the auction organised by Goldin ended.

That was under the amount that the match referee, Tunisia's Ali Bin Nasser, of the famous game Argentina won 2-1 against England after Maradona flicked the ball with his hand past goalkeeper Peter Shilton in the World Cup quarter-finals in Mexico City, had wanted.

Last November, the ball failed to sell with London-based auctioneers Graham Budd Auctions, despite a £2 million ($2.4 million/€2.2 million) bid.

That figure was £500,000 ($602,000/€562,000) below the reserve that Bin Nasser was asking.

The shirt that Maradona wore in that same "Hand of God" game fetched a staggering $9.3 million (£7.7 million/€8.7 million) in May 2022.

At the time the sale was made it was the highest price ever paid at auction for a piece of sports memorabilia.

Graham Budd, meanwhile, are currently auctioning the match ball from the final of Mexico 1986, a match that Argentina won 3-2 against West Germany in Mexico City.

The Adidas Azteca ball is formed of 32 pentagonal panels with a sinuous black and white design inspired by the architecture and murals of the Aztec Civilisation that flourished in Central Mexico through the 14th to the 16th centuries.

The ball has been offered with a signed letter of provenance from the Brazilian FIFA match referee Romualdo Arppi Filho, who has autographed it alongside his assistants Erik Fredriksson and Bernylloa Morea.

The final took place at the Estadio Azteca before 114,600 spectators.

Jose Luis Brown opened the scoring for Argentina in the 23rd minute with a header after an error by the German goalkeeper Harald Schumacher following a free-kick from the right and it stayed at 1–0 until half-time.

Jorge Valdano doubled Argentina's lead with a low side foot finish in the 56th minute after cutting in from the left past Schumacher.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge pulled a goal back in the 74th minute from close range for West Germany, his first goal in the tournament.

West Germany then equalised in the 81st minute, with Rudi Völler scoring with a header from close range.

Although Maradona was heavily marked by Lothar Matthaus throughout the game, his pass to Jorge Burruchaga in the 84th minute allowed Argentina to regain the lead at 3–2 when he slid the ball past the advancing goalkeeper from the right and into the corner of the net.

It was the second time that Argentina had lifted the trophy, having previously won it at home eight years earlier in 1978.

It was the last time that Argentina won the FIFA World Cup until the side inspired by Lionel Messi triumphed again by beating France on penalties in last year's tournament in Qatar.

The auctioneers have estimated that the ball will sell for up to £50,000 (£60,200/€56,330), but so far no-one has met the opening price of £18,000 ($21,670/€20,280).

Bidding is due to end on March 8.