Forty years have passed since Diego Maradona soared above Peter Shilton, punched the ball into the net and broke English hearts.
The anguish since England’s 1986 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina at the Estadio Azteca has never really left the former goalkeeper. But now, as Thomas Tuchel’s 2026 team prepare to head back to the Mexico City cauldron for the first time since, he is ready to put the ‘beef to bed’.
Aged 76, the sequence is still clear in his mind. Midfielder Steve Hodge tried to clear the ball, but only succeeded in hoofing it in the air directly back towards Shilton. Everyone was expecting the 6ft goalkeeper to catch it, especially against the 5ft 5in frame of Maradona.
But somehow, the ball found itself in the goal. At first, it seemed that the diminutive Argentine had headed it — though replays clearly showed him steering the ball in with his clenched fist.
The Hand of God was born, Maradona later telling reporters in Spanish that the goal was scored ‘a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God’.
The thought of what could have been, and anger at an act of cheating, deeply hurt Shilton. Even in this room at Chelmsford FC, you can sense discomfort when the topic is brought up, a tinge of disappointment still lingering.
After 40 years of hurt, Peter Shilton is finally ready to move on from the goal that has haunted him
Diego Maradona scores the ‘Hand of God’ goal to help knock England out of the 1986 World Cup
Maradona and Shilton were opposing captains for that infamous quarter-final at the Azteca
It took an encounter with Argentina players from that ’86 side for a documentary on the game, called The Match, to change his perspective. The group included Jorge Valdano, Oscar Ruggeri, Ricardo Giusti, Jorge Burruchaga and Jorge Olarticoechea. Lynx Fine Fragrance arranged for Shilton to shake hands with an Argentinian mascot and put an end to the matter.
‘Well, it’s 40 years since it happened and I think it’s probably time to put my beef to bed,’ Shilton tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘Last year, I went over to Madrid to do a documentary with Argentinian players, Gary Lineker and John Barnes.
‘I met some of the players who played that day and, to be fair, it was so emotional and they were so welcoming towards me that I was a little bit taken aback. I have met a lot of Argentinian people and they’re exactly the same, very friendly.
‘It was just the feeling that came across to me – it made me feel that it’s time that I put this to bed.’
Shilton’s pain stems from believing that England could have gone all the way in that World Cup – if Maradona’s goal had been disallowed.
Shilton thought their second goal should have been chalked off, too, for a foul on Glenn Hoddle in the build-up. Maradona, who died in 2020, would go on to dribble past several players, starting from his own half, to score the ‘goal of the century’. Maradona dragged Argentina to their second World Cup triumph leaving Shilton to wish VAR was around back then.
‘I felt that we could have gone on and won that World Cup,’ he reflects. ‘We had such a good chance, we were running into form. That’s why I had my beef. But, obviously, if we’d had VAR around, the goal wouldn’t have been allowed. It’s as simple as that.
‘Obviously, we all felt hard done by. And the thing is, when something happens like that in football, you can’t turn the clock back. You have to come to terms with it.’
Shilton has finally decided to end his grudge after being involved in a documentary about the game
Maradona went on to score the ‘Goal of the Century’ later in the match – but should he have been on the pitch?
Shilton with his wife Steph (right) and their family in 2024, when he was awarded a CBE
One of England’s greatest-ever goalkeepers, Shilton’s 125 caps for his country has stood as the all-time mark for almost four decades. This is among a slew of records he racked up during a career spanning more than 20 years: he is the only player to have featured in more than 1,000 English league matches and his 66 clean sheets for England has never been surpassed.
So, his opinion on keepers holds weight — and that’s why Shilton’s estimations of current No 1 Jordan Pickford are revealing.
‘I’ve watched Jordan since he was young and he’s gradually improved,’ he says. ‘I like the way he takes charge of his defence and helps them. His distribution is terrific. He can ping balls from 50 yards to people’s feet. Being good with the ball at your feet is massive these days.
‘He’s the best goalkeeper since I finished playing for England. I think that much of him, yeah. I also think he’s very good on penalties.’
One man closing in on a Shilton record is Harry Kane, who sits on 118 caps after playing another starring role with both goals in England’s 2-1 last-32 victory over DR Congo on Wednesday. And Shilton is urging the Bayern Munich star to surpass his number of appearances.
‘Harry’s got a great chance, I think he should break it actually,’ he says. ‘He’s been a great leader, a great ambassador for England.
‘He scores goals and for a forward to break my record will be a testament to his fitness and his dedication. Moving to Germany helped him because they had a month’s break in the season which obviously helped freshen him up.
Shilton is the only Englishman to play in 1,000 career games, and won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest in 1979
He rates Jordan Pickford (centre) as England’s greatest goalkeeper since he retired in 1990
And he is egging on Harry Kane to break his England all-time caps record of 125
| 1. PETER SHILTON | 125 (1970-90) |
| 2. Wayne Rooney | 120 (2003-18) |
| 3. Harry Kane | 118 (2015-) |
| 4. David Beckham | 115 (1996-2009) |
| 5. Steven Gerrard | 114 (2000-14) |
| 6. Bobby Moore | 108 (1962-73) |
| 7. Ashley Cole | 107 (2001-14) |
| 8. Bobby Charlton | 106 (1958-70) |
| = Frank Lampard | 106 (1999-2014) |
| 10. Billy Wright | 105 (1946-59) |
‘He’s played proper matches. He’s not been a substitute and come on for half a match or 10 minutes to gain the [extra] cap, which has happened in the past. Harry Kane doesn’t do that. So that’s one of the big reasons that I’ve got a lot of respect for him.’
For Shilton, the wounds of 1986 may never completely disappear. But after four decades, he’s finally ready to let the past stay there — and believes England’s current generation can end the nation’s 60-year wait to bring home the World Cup.
He adds: ‘We’re one of five or six teams who are there with a great chance. You always need that bit of luck which I don’t think we’ve had too much in recent years.
‘We’ve had probably more things go against England as a team than go for us, but sooner or later it will change and hopefully it will change in this World Cup. That could be the difference between us going out or going through to the final and winning it.’
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