Shilton forgives 'Hand of God' after Buenos Aires trip softens 40-year grudge

Peter Shilton has declared he is ready to move on from Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal, saying a recent trip to Buenos Aires softened nearly four decades of anger over the 1986 World Cup quarter-final. The England legend made the admission on the eve of England’s return to the Azteca Stadium — the same venue where Maradona’s controversial goal helped Argentina to a 2-1 victory in front of 115,000 fans.

“I’ve been holding a bit of a beef for many years,” Shilton told The Telegraph. “I’ve been over to Buenos Aires in recent years and the people over there were fantastic towards me. They were brilliant to me. Inside, I thought it’s time to put the beef to bed… obviously Maradona’s no longer with us.”

Shilton, who was England’s captain and goalkeeper that day in Mexico City, remains clear-eyed about what actually happened. He insists Maradona had no choice but to use his hand because the ball was already Shilton’s to claim. “I was getting the ball. That’s why Maradona punched it in. He would have headed it otherwise. It’s as simple as that,” he said. “Everyone in the stadium saw the handball except the referee and linesman.”

Maradona scored twice in the quarter-final. His first goal — the deliberate handball that Shilton has contested ever since — was followed eight minutes later by what has been widely dubbed the ‘Goal of the Century’, a solo run in which the Argentine dribbled past most of the England team before finishing past Shilton.

With England now preparing to face Mexico at the Azteca in the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup, Shilton also expressed concern about the conditions awaiting Gareth Southgate’s successor’s squad. “I fear a little bit for England because we had a month in Colorado with the heat and altitude to get acclimatised in 1986,” he said. “It takes that long and England are going straight in. They’re not going to be able to adjust to the altitude, and obviously the heat’s going to be a problem as well.”

The 75-year-old acknowledged the emotional weight of England returning to the iconic stadium, adding that the occasion brought “a lump to your throat” when considering what it means to supporters.