The Match

During the quarter-final of the 1986 World Cup between Argentina and England, Diego Maradona leapt towards the ball to head it, though he would ultimately flick it over goalkeeper Peter Shilton with his hand. The goal was approved. Maradona later referred to it as “the Hand of God”. Argentina won the match and went on to win the World Cup. Much has been written and debated about that incident, and The Match (El partido) is now the definitive documentary on this fixture. For even without the ‘Hand of God’ moment, this was a particularly memorable match: the first encounter between the two nations since Argentina had invaded the Falklands four years earlier and subsequently lost that war. Long before kick-off, the tension in the stadium was palpable, whilst clashes broke out between the two sets of supporters in the streets of Mexico City. One more thing: the ball was auctioned off last August for 2.9 million euros.