Diego Maradona claim 'Hand of God' was payback for the Falklands War

Diego Maradona has marked the 30th anniversary of the 'Hand of God' by claiming his goal and Argentina's victory over England was partial payback for the Falklands War.

 

The Argentinean legend, now 55, infamously opened the scoring in the 1986 World Cup final by rising above Peter Shilton to palm the ball home.
In his post-match press conference, 'el Diego' would claim he scored "a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God," and it went down in history just as much as Argentina's second, a stunning 60-yard solo dribble.

But marking the anniversary of that sweltering afternoon in Mexico City, Maradona recounted some of his memories from the day to Argentina's C5N news and claimed the result was more significant because British forces had defeated Argentina's invasion of the Falklands just a few years before.
"We played that game with boots and rifles," Maradona said.
"After the game we celebrated until we cried.
"It felt like we had done justice, well maybe not justice but made good for the mothers who had lost sons in the Falklands.

"For that goal I thought Shilton was going to clatter me. But it was like he'd taken a Xanax, he pulled out.
"A little guy of 1.67 metres beat a big guy of 1.88 metres to the ball... but with his hand. It was like I robbed their wallets!
"That game was like showing who were the biggest men. I realised from the first scraps that they were playing as if their lives were on the line."